Bread Stuffing Recipe (2024)

I made this twice. The first time I followed the directions exactly and it came out very dry, and burnt. The second time I added minced celery to the onion sautee and about a cup of broth with the scallions at the end. I covered with foil and cooked for 20 mins, then took the foil off for another 15mins. Turned out much more moist but with some crunch and still very flavorful.

I persisted and the results for the 2nd time around make this is my favorite stuffing ever! My modifications based on comments here and elsewhere:-only 1 stick (and a couple tbs) butter-add chopped celery, carrots, and apple to sautéed shallots-2 types of baguette, 8-9 cups (soft, dried, and chopped in different sizes)-1 cup homemade (veg) broth (at this point I wanted to gobble up the stuffing from the pot!)-bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncovered for 20 minutes

How far in advance can this be made

Sounds a little dry. Shouldn't there be broth?

Reviewers recommended 1. adding celery, carrots, and apple2. adding 1 cup broth3. bake covered for 20 minutes, uncovered for 20 minutes

Watch the video! I shows the kind of stuffing that it is....no meat, no liquid, no eggs.....the finished product is simple and delicious....make extra gravy if you want to moisten it, and serve it in your best gravy boat.

The butter should take care of any dryness. This is looser stuffing than many, but it's delicious.

I have made stuffing using this recipe since I got my first "How to cook..." more than 15 yrs ago. In the spirit of "How to cook..." I have always modified it by adding chicken stock and more butter until the bread was moist. I see now from the video that my results are very different from what Mr. Bittman intended. However, I found that adding broth increases the moisture without making it soggy or mushy. Its always been a huge hit at my house.

I added chopped Granny Smith apple and dried cranberries. It was amazing!

OK - the video is key. Wish I had watched it first... Like a few mentioned, I burned it beyond recognition on my first try. Mistake one: hard breadcrumbs. This calls for fresh bread, not those angry dried cubes I bought. Mistake two: don't cook too long or hot on the stove and loose all that butter.

This is the most delicious stuffing I've ever had. There were no leftovers last year. I can't wait to make it again this year. Like most of Bittman's recipes, it's easy and tastes amazing.

We have a winner! This recipe will be at our Thanksgiving table for years to come. The key, I believe, is using a good quality bread (I used a French boule plus a few slices of rye-cranberry-walnut for variety. I asked the bakery to slice the loaves to get things started, then tore the slightly stale pieces by hand after leaving out overnight). I also indulged in a good quality butter.Bake the night before, tossing with just a drizzle of turkey broth before reheating the day of. Delish!!!

I think people who have left comments have the wrong idea about this dressing. It doesn't need stock. The brilliant thing is that the buttery bread gets very crisp in the oven and adds some non-mushy texture. I served it to 12 people tonight and it was very popular. I did add some sauteed sausage and apple to it, though, which was unnecessary but we liked it.

I made this twice. The first time I followed the directions exactly and it came out very dry, and burnt. The second time I added minced celery to the onion sautee and about a cup of broth with the scallions at the end. I covered with foil and cooked for 20 mins, then took the foil off for another 15mins. Turned out much more moist but with some crunch and still very flavorful.

I followed the recipe exactly, except for omitting the pine nuts and it came out burnt.

Wonderful recipe - my family greatly enjoyed! I prepared about 1.5x the recipe which fit nicely into a 9x13 pyrex dish. I used 1 stick of butter and 10 tbsp of olive oil, pine nuts, and fresh tarragon, etc. Prepared 3 days ahead and followed recipe. It was crunchy but not dry at all. I reheated a bit prior to dinner on Thanksgiving Day!Thanks Mark Bittman for a delicious yet simple recipe!

I make this every year. I love the crunch of this dry dressing with turkey and some good gravy. Over the years I've used everything from saved bread ends, loaves bought specifically for the dish, and bags of panko. I usually use yellow onion, but have also used red and shallots. All have turned out well. If you're having a panko year, stir once or twice while baking and keep a close watch at the end, it can go from browning to burnt quickly.

This recipe is perfect as is. Watch the video. I hosted a large Thanksgiving potluck dinner with 40 guests and 4 different stuffing offerings— this one by far was the best. It was light with a slight crunch to it without being dry.

I have made this recipe for the last 4 years. Yes, I modify, as others have suggested by adding celery, apples, pecans, maple sausage, and lots of fresh herbs. It is about the quality of the bread as another reader commented. I use a whole loaf of fresh sourdough from a local bakery. I also moisten with just enough broth so that is not dry. It is our favorite stuffing/dressing, and we made many over the years.

Where can I find the Video?

Delicious but two notes: day-old bread is ok but not two days. Some pieces remained too crunchy, even with all the butter. I used pine nuts but they got lost in the stuffing—I think walnuts are a better choice.

Make bigger chunks- like quarter sized (vs pea size)

This was so good! I burned it while being overly attentive to the turkey and had to scoop out the unburned top and center to serve. Guests still raved about it.

The flavors in this stuffing were delicious, but I found it way too buttery and heavy (read: not fluffy). Will make it again but next time will use only half the butter, and will try others' suggestions of adding celery & apple. I think those additions would complement the tarragon and walnuts really well.

I totally messed up and baked the torn pieces of bread. So then I had to wing it by adding by adding broth and celery. The chopped walnuts add a great flavor. Thanks Mark Bittman for a great base recipe and I will definitely try to remember to just use fresh bread next time.

Add at least one cup of broth. Cover and bake for 20 mins, uncover and bake 15 mins longer

Can I substitute butter for olive oil? The recipe sounds amazing but I cannot eat dairies.

Made it and decided I agree with some of the comments below, it needs broth but covering it while it cooks would really make sense. Thanks for the tips.

Delicious. Truly. Followed it exactly thanks to watching the video in advance (a must). Simple and delicious. I mean after all it is bread with lots of butter, is there much of anything better than that?!