The 2 Breads That Make The Absolute Best Stuffing

Forget boxed stuffing, because the side dish often served at holiday dinners is far superior when it's made from scratch with a handful of ingredients. The ingredients to ensure the best texture for homemade stuffing include aromatics like celery and herbs — but you also need stale bread to soak up the flavor and not have a soggy side on the dinner table. Then there's the decision of what type of bread to use. Luckily for you and your soon-to-be dinner guests, we got the scoop from Bryan Ogen, executive Chef at Bourbon Steak in New York City.

"The best type of bread in my opinion is ciabatta or baguette," he explains. "These lean dough breads absorb the fats better and don't eat as heavy." The reason Ogen suggests these types of bread to absorb the fats also has to do with the crusty exterior that will hold up more than softer breads like brioche. To make it absorb even better, the ciabatta or baguette should be a bit stale. If you can't come across those two types of bread, other stuffing-worthy options include sourdough and old bagels.

When you have the ciabatta or baguette from the bakery or grocery store per Bryan Ogen's advice, it's time to prep it for the stuffing. Try to buy the bread in advance so it has time to sit out overnight and get stale. Or even ask the bakery if they have any old bread you can buy at a discount. If you don't have the time, you can put the bread in an oven set at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for around 20 minutes. Either way, use your hands to tear the bread into bite-sized pieces or a serrated knife to obtain even cubes. After the rest of your ingredients and sauce are ready, toss the stale or baked bread to coat evenly and follow the recipe accordingly.

Speaking of recipes, Tasting Table has some options that can easily be adjusted to use any type of bread, including Ogen's suggestions. To really amp up the flavors, try our sourdough sausage stuffing and swap in baguette or ciabatta with our tips. Another option is to cook this chorizo cornbread stuffing recipe, which combines cornbread and baguette for a fusion of flavors and textures, to make the best stuffing for the holidays (or any time, really).