The Types Of Bread You Should Never Use To Make Stuffing

For foodies, Thanksgiving is one of the most exciting holidays of the year. Not only is it an opportunity to get together with loved ones, but it's also a time in which creativity flourishes. All of those TikTok recipes you've been saving can finally be put to use, giving you an opportunity to show off all of your cooking and baking skills to those in your corner. However, while thinking out of the box can lead to stellar results, there are some Thanksgiving classics you don't really want to mess with, and stuffing is one of them. Bryan Ogen, executive chef at Bourbon Steak New York, shared his essential tips on the worst breads to use for stuffing to make sure your creativity doesn't flop this season.

"I tend to avoid brioche and any dairy-based breads as they make a very rich stuffing and do not absorb the liquids as well," Ogen said. Dairy-based breads include things like biscuits, brioche, cinnamon bread, and croissants. Odds are, you haven't considered making your Thanksgiving stuffing with cinnamon bread, but perhaps brioche — a sweet and pillowy-soft bread — has crossed your mind. While it might be an excellent bread for French toast, when it comes to savory stuffing, it will be far too rich. The presence of milk automatically adds a richness to baked goods, but a good stuffing should be light and fluffy. Plus, because it's not a neutral-tasting bread, your stuffing will inevitably have a sweetness to it that you might not love.

Despite Ogen's tip, there are some people who think brioche is, in fact, a good choice for stuffing. Martha Stewart, for instance, claims that the bread's tighter crumb makes it a good choice, per All Recipes. Other recipe developers think that it works just as well as a neutral bread because the savory flavors disguise the brioche's sweetness. It's certainly not a crime to use brioche in your stuffing, but it is a side dish, after all — it shouldn't be so rich that one bite fills you up. There are plenty of other breads out there that will ensure the perfect texture for stuffing, leaving you free to enjoy everything else on the table.

Using a neutral, non-dairy-based bread will yield the best results texture and flavor-wise. Sourdough or white sandwich bread are two of the most popular choices for stuffing, and if you can't decide between the two, you should use both types of bread for a bit of complexity. An Italian bread, like ciabatta, would work well, too. No matter which one you choose, make sure you dry it out before prepping your stuffing, and then you're on your way to serving the classic side that's nevertheless show stopping.