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Easy Sourdough Stuffing Recipe

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Learn how to make this easy sourdough stuffing recipe — a timeless favorite for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This stuffing recipe uses sourdough bread as the base, and then adds some herbs and spices to create a moist and flavorful turkey dinner side dish.

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Originally published September 23, 2021. Last update: August 26, 2022.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

I’ve been on a big sourdough bread kick. I make it every couple of days (although, this week it’s been daily). It’s my favorite bread and although it’s a little more flavor intensive than most bread, the ingredients are so simple: flour, water, and salt. That’s it! Yet it gives such an amazing flavour.

My husband and I were sitting around discussing what else I could do with it: bread bowls, croutons, and then it hit me. I should make sourdough sausage stuffing for turkey dinner!

If you don’t make your own sourdough, that’s totally fine. Most grocery stores have a round loaf (called a boule) available in their bakery section.

You’re going to love this easy sourdough stuffing. The herbs mixed with the bread fill your home with a comforting smell. It’s so good (and even better when you serve it with turkey, gravy, and all the fixings.

a top view of this easy sourdough bread dressing recipe with fresh herbs and spices in a white baking dish Pin

Ingredients

  • 1 large sourdough loaf (Use 10 cups of it cubed; if you have more, just add more liquid.)
  • 1 large onion (white or yellow onion is best)
  • 3 stalks celery
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 lb pork sausage
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp melted butter (unsalted)
  • 2-3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon ground sage + more for making bread crumbs along with garlic powder, salt, and pepper
  • Herbs like fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, and fresh sage (I bought a poultry blend from the grocery store.)
top view of pork sausage, sourdough, celery, onions, butter, and herbs Pin

Tips for Making Croutons

I’ve made homemade dressings and stuffings before but with pre-dried bread cubes. I’ve never made a bread stuffing recipe before. So, I started at square one — drying out the bread to make homemade sourdough bread cubes for stuffing.

  1. Start by chopping the bread (sourdough, french, etc) into smaller pieces.
  2. Lay them on a baking sheet, and drizzle olive oil.
  3. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ground sage.
  4. Bake at 300ºF for 30-40 minutes, or until it’s dry. Stir and shake it every 15 minutes to make sure it’s cooking evenly.

You could also rip up the bread and let it sit out for a day or two to dry out naturally. However, this way is great if you’re last minute (plus it adds some extra flavor to the mixture).

How To Make Sourdough Stuffing

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13 with cooking spray.
  2. Over medium heat, squeeze the sausage (if it’s in the casings) into a large skillet, and cook until almost done. (You don’t want it too dry). If the sausage is sticking to the pan, add some avocado or olive oil. Remove the sausage and add to a large bowl or 9×13 pan (whatever you’re mixing the stuffing in so it keeps all the flavor).
  3. Add 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter to the pan, melt, and add the onion and celery. Stir until the onion is translucent (see-through) and starting to brown. Add the garlic and fresh herbs, and stir for another 2-3 minutes. (Your home is going to smell amazing!)
  4. Add the onions and celery to the sausage and then add the sourdough, melted butter, ground sage, and chopped herbs. Stir it around well. Then slowly add the 2 cups of chicken broth. Assess the stuffing mix. Add more broth if needed. You don’t want it swimming in a pool of liquid, or have it too soggy. If you over-pour, it’s salvageable…it will just take longer to cook.
  5. Wrap your casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, stir, and bake uncovered for another 15-20 (depending on how much liquid is in there).

    If it looks dry at the 30-minute mark, add a bit more broth and stir. At this point, you can taste and adjust seasonings, as well.
  6. Top with some fresh parsley and serve. If you’re waiting for turkey and all the fixings to be done, cover with foil so it doesn’t dry out.
top view of cooked pork sausage. sourdough bread chunks, herbs, and celery in a large metal bowl Pin

Tips and Variations

  • Spice up this stuffing with some sautéed diced peppers like jalapeños, bell peppers, serranos, crushed red pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper.
  • Change up the protein! This is a great base stuffing recipe because you can use any protein you like. Keep it traditional with cooked chicken or turkey, or try something new like oysters or an all-veggie option.
  • Cook individual portions in a muffin tin or oven-safe ramekins to make sure everyone gets bites that are crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use raw pork sausage in the stuffing, or cook it first?

I recommend cooking the sausage first.

For my family’s stuffing recipe, you add it raw (it adds more moisture), but it takes longer to cook and can make things a bit mushier.

This is beneficial in stuffings because it makes the turkey juicy, but not in dressings. So, for this recipe, I cooked it. Cooking the sausage before prevents potential food poisoning, and it allows you to drain any excess fat.

What sausage to use for turkey stuffing?

I’ve always used plain pork sausage that you can find in the freezer section of the grocery store. It’s just plain pork sausage, wrapped in a plastic tube.

That being said, my grocery store was out so I had to improvise. I searched for honey garlic sausage (which I thought would be amazing), but they were sold out of that too. So I settled with what they did have — bangers.

You could also use honey garlic sausage, maple breakfast sausage, mild Italian sausage, or even turkey sausage for a leaner sausage recipe. I haven’t tested these myself, but I’m sure they’d be delicious!

What’s the difference between stuffing and dressing?

Stuffing is when you stuff the bread filling inside of the turkey’s abdominal cavity.

Dressing is when you bake it in the oven on its own separately. Technically, this is a sourdough dressing recipe. But you could prepare this as a dressing or a stuffing, aka inside or outside of the bird.

Do I need to add egg to homemade stuffing?

Egg is used as a binder in traditional recipes. It keeps it together.

However, this is an eggless stuffing recipe. You can add one if you would like them the cubed bread and sausage to stick together more but it’s not necessary.

close up of homemade sourdough stuffing fresh out of the oven with rosemary and sage Pin

Serving Suggestions

Here are more healthy and delicious holiday side dishes to make this season:

And while you’re planning your Christmas or Thanksgiving feast, check out some of my favorite festive appetizers!

Storage Suggestions

  • Store leftover herb sourdough stuffing in an airtight container or covered baking dish in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Freeze cooled cooked stuffing in an airtight or covered freezer-safe container for up to 1 month.

    You could make the stuffing ahead of your big holiday feast and freeze it in an aluminum baking dish so that you can easily pop it in the oven the day you plan to serve.
  • Reheat leftovers in the microwave until warmed through, or from frozen at 350 for an hour or two, or until browned and no longer liquidy.

    You can reduce the cooking time if made from frozen by allowing it to defrost at room temperature before baking.
a top view of this easy sourdough bread dressing recipe with fresh herbs and spices in a white baking dish Pin

More Holiday Recipes To Try

This Sourdough Stuffing recipe is unbelievably easy and delicious. Sourdough bread combined with chicken broth, celery and onions fills your home with amazing aromas during the holidays.

Sourdough Stuffing Recipe

how to make sourdough stuffng Pin
Learn how to make sourdough stuffing for the holidays. This stuffing recipe uses sourdough bread, herbs & spices to create a moist turkey dinner side dish.
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
15 cups

Ingredients

For the homemade bread cubes

For the sourdough stuffing

  • 10 cups bread crumbs if you have more, use more liquid
  • 500 g pork sausage 17-18 ounces – see notes on what kind.
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 3 stalks celery diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2-3 cups chicken broth start with 2 and work up to 3. You want it to be moist but soggy or swimming in liquid. Otherwise you'll have to cook it longer.
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary + 1 extra spring chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme + 2 extra sprigs chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh sage + 3 leaves chopped
  • fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

For the homemade bread cubes

  • Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Chop the sourdough into small cubes.
  • On a sheet pan, lay out the bread cubes and drizzle the olive oil over top. Sprinkle the seasongs over and stir around with your hands so all the bread is evenly coated.
    Make sourdough bread cubes for stuffing Pin
  • Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes, or until the cubes are dried out. Stir and shake the pan every 15 minutes to make sure it dries out evenly.
    homemade cubes for stuffing Pin

For the sourdough stuffing

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13 with cooking spray.
  • Over medium heat, squeeze the sausage (if it's in the casings) and cook until almost done (you don't want it too dry). If the sausage is sticking to the pan, add some avocado or olive oil. Remove sausage and add to the bowl of 9×13 pan (whatever you're mixing the stuffing in).
  • Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan, melt, and add the onion and celery. Stir until the onion is translucent (see-through) starting to brown. Add the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary, 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh sage, and stir for another 2-3 minutes. Your home is going to smell amazing right now.
  • Add the onions and celery to the sausage and then add the sourdough, melted butter, ground sage, the sprigs of rosemary, sage, and thyme (chop them before you add). Stir it around well. Then slowly add the 2 cups of chicken broth. Assess the stuffing mix. Add more broth if needed. You don't want it swimming with a pool of liquid, or have it too soggy. If you over-pour, it's salvageable…it will just take longer to cook.
    placing stuffing in a casserole dish to bake Pin
  • Wrap your casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, stir it, and bake uncovered for another 15-20 (depending on how liquid is in there). If it looks a little dry at the 30-minute mark, add a bit more broth and stir. At this point, you can taste and adjust seasonings as well. Does it need more salt? Pepper? Sage? Everyone likes their stuffing differently, so this is a great time to customize it.
  • Top with some fresh parsley and serve. If you're waiting for turkey and all the fixin's to be done, cover with foil so it doesn't dry out.
    close up of homemade dressing for turkey dinner Pin

Notes

What sausage to use for turkey stuffing?

I’ve always used plain pork sausage that you can find in the freezer section of the grocery store. It’s just plain pork sausage, wrapped in a plastic tube.
That being said, my grocery store was out so I had to improvise. I searched for honey garlic sausage (which I thought would be amazing), but they were sold out of that too. So I settled with what they did have – bangers.
Here are some sausage ideas to try:
  • Honey garlic sausage
  • Maple breakfast sausage
  • mild italian sausage
  • turkey sausage (for a leaner sausage recipe)

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 340kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 12gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 759mgPotassium: 226mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 210IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 3mg
AuthorRanda Derkson

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10 Comments

  1. Hi Randa!
    How long do you think leftovers will last in either the fridge/freezer? Do you believe a week is too long ?

  2. Can you skip sausage and use vegetable broth instead and will it require more liquid since no meat? Tryin to make this for a vegetarian. If possible any my other tweaks to it

    1. Hey Dorothy,

      Yes you can. I would watch it in the oven and add a little extra liquid a bit at a time. Keep your eye on it and let me know how it goes.

  3. Can I make this ahead of thanksgiving? This is my first tome cooking Thanksgiving dinner and trying to plan! Thanks!

    1. Absolutely. Make it the day before and store it covered in the fridge. Heat it back up in the oven, but taste it. You may need to add a little more chicken broth to bring it back to life. Play around with it and may it work for you 🙂 Let me know what happens!

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