The One Type Of Bread To Avoid When Making Dressing This Holiday Season

Holiday sides like dressing tend to be the stuff arguments are made of. It may be a time of year for coming together, but get a whole bunch of hungry people in a room for a big meal and there are bound to be some clashing tastes. And few sides for Thanksgiving, or any holiday, offer you as many choices as dressing. You can make it simple or load up stuffing and dressing with additions like sausage and dried fruits, and, most important of all, you can make it with almost any bread you want ... almost. Like so many of these arguments there's no exact right answer to the best bread, but there is one kind you should avoid for dressing, and that's Hawaiian rolls.

It's easy to see the appeal of Hawaiian roll dressing and stuffing, given its fluffy texture and lightly sweet flavor, but both of those things actually contribute to its undoing. To get great dressing you want to cook your bread twice: first to dry it out, and then to crisp up the finished product in the oven. But with a higher sugar content, Hawaiian rolls have a propensity to burn. Some nicely browned crispy edges on dressing are great, but expose Hawaiian rolls to the direct heat of an oven for 45 minutes plus, and you get burnt, not browned.

The other downside of Hawaiian rolls for dressing is how light they are. That squishy texture may be great for a burger or sandwich, but it has trouble absorbing all the moisture in dressing. Mixed into your favorite dressing or stuffing recipe, the end result will be mushy and soggy, even as the dish overcooks on top. Some people prefer a more bread pudding-like texture for their dressing, but Hawaiian rolls will take things a step too far, and they'll require a lot of adjustments to moisture levels, cooking time, and heat to hit the sweet spot.

The one other option that suffers a similar fate is soft white sandwich bread for similar reasons. But, thankfully, you have no shortage of great options at your disposal. We even spoke to an expert to get their opinion about the two breads that make the best stuffing and dressing. Bryan Ogen, executive chef at Bourbon Steak in New York City, suggests ciabatta or baguette. Sourdough, French bread, and cornbread also work great.

And if you are dead set on getting that Hawaiian roll flavor, know that brands like King's Hawaiian are actually based on Portuguese sweet bread, which gets its taste from just sugar, eggs, and milk, all of which can be lightly incorporated into a stuffing recipe to achieve that rich, sweet experience. Just don't go too heavy on the sugar, or you'll end up with the same burning problem you started with.