Name: Bread Stuffing
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Ingredients: 1 loaf hearty white sandwich bread (24-ounces), cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 16 cups); 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter; 2 onions , chopped fine; 3 celery ribs , chopped fine; 4 garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons); 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage; 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme; 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 4 large eggs; 1 1/2 cups half-and-half; 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper

Why This Recipe Works

Tasters liked the slight sweetness of white sandwich bread for our Bread Stuffing, but felt the texture was wrong. Toasting the bread in the oven first made it sturdy enough to absorb plenty of flavorful liquid without becoming soggy (and as an added bonus, the bread tasted better). To concentrate flavor, we reduced chicken broth with sautéed onions, celery, and herbs. We also turned to soy sauce, an ingredient we’ve used in other recipes to mimic meatiness. Just a little gave the stuffing an intense savory flavor similar to that of stuffing cooked inside a turkey. To add more richness, we took a cue from bread pudding recipes and tested various types of dairy. Whole milk was too thin, and heavy cream was too fatty, but half-and-half made our stuffing rich and moist.

Before You Begin

Firm sandwich breads, like Arnold Country Classics White or Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Hearty White, work best here.

Instructions

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 325 degrees. Arrange bread in single layer on 2 baking sheets. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes, stirring bread and switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cool.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat. Cook onions and celery until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, sage, and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and soy sauce and simmer until slightly thickened and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.

Whisk eggs, half-and-half, parsley, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Slowly whisk in warm onion mixture until incorporated. Fold in toasted bread and let sit, tossing occasionally, until bread is saturated, about 20 minutes.

Transfer stuffing to greased 13- by 9-inch pan. Melt remaining butter and drizzle evenly over stuffing. Bake on lower-middle rack until top is golden brown and crisp, about 50 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Serve.

Make Ahead: The stuffing can be prepared through step 3 and refrigerated, covered, for 1 day. When ready to bake, proceed with step 4, increasing cooking time by about 20 minutes.