Little Walnut Cottage

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If you love classic holiday flavors with a cozy homemade touch, this sourdough stuffing will be your new go-to! Toasted sourdough, sautéed veggies, fresh herbs, and savory broth come together to create a stuffing that’s hearty, flavorful, and never soggy. It’s simple to prepare, deeply comforting, and perfect for Thanksgiving or any cold-weather meal.

We recommend using our Sourdough French Bread for this recipe. If you’re new to sourdough, be sure to check out our How to Make Sourdough Starter Guide!

If you love stuffing but are leery of making anything that’s based around a bag of stale bread cubes, you’re in good company.

Stuffing is wonderful (hello, it’s a pan of warm bread cubes), but it’s one of those things we’ve grown so accustomed to making from a box or bag that most people don’t realize it can be made fresh, as in, with fresh sourdough French bread.

Allow me to introduce you to your new holiday side-kick: sourdough stuffing.

“Hold on, now,” you say. “If I show up to Thanksgiving with anything less than Grandma’s famous stuffing, my family will have my hide.”

Down, Bessie. I, too, have a family hopelessly devoted to one woman’s legendary stuffing.

We call her Nannie.

Nannie’s stuffing is unmatched. It’s warm, golden, and crispy in all the right places. The kind of stuffing that converts even the “stuffing isn’t really my thing” people.

My only objection to Nannie’s stuffing is that it’s made with bagged stuffing mix.

(I have an allergy to paying for anything I can do myself.)

So, when I set out to make sourdough stuffing, the bar was high. High as the heavens.

But let me tell you, I succeeded. There’s absolutely nothing missing with this sourdough stuffing recipe. It blends all the best things of Nannie’s stuffing with the beautiful flavors of sourdough bread. So, you can feel confident about showing up to your next holiday gathering with a big pan of sourdough stuffing in hand.

Your family will thank you.

And we can all thank my Nannie, the queen of stuffing.

What Makes Sourdough Stuffing Different?

• Sourdough adds a deeper, slightly tangy flavor, giving stuffing a richer, more complex taste than traditional white bread or packaged stuffing mix.
• The naturally sturdy texture of sourdough allows it to soak up broth without falling apart, giving you a stuffing that stays soft inside while still crisping beautifully on top.
• Toasting the sourdough cubes helps them hold up even better, giving the final dish more structure and preventing sogginess.
• Because sourdough is slow-fermented, it creates a rustic, homemade feel that pairs perfectly with cozy holiday meals.
• Using long-fermented sourdough makes this stuffing easier to digest and healthier for your body.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Sourdough Bread Cubes (from sourdough French bread)– The star of the dish! Provides structure, flavor, and a perfectly rustic texture.
• Chicken Thighs – Adds protein and richness; boiling them creates a flavorful broth used in the stuffing.
• Reserved Chicken Broth – Gives moisture and depth; using homemade broth elevates the stuffing’s flavor.
• Butter – Adds richness and helps toast the bread and sauté the vegetables.
• Onion & Celery – Classic aromatics that build the foundation of stuffing flavor.
• Eggs – Bind the stuffing together and create that soft, tender center.
• Sage & Thyme – Essential holiday herbs that bring warmth and savory depth.
• Flour – Helps lightly bind everything without making the stuffing dense.
• Salt & Pepper – Simple seasoning to enhance every ingredient.

How to Make Sourdough Stuffing

Step 1: Prep the bread. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the sourdough cubes on a baking sheet. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and drizzle it over the bread. Toss to coat, then bake for 20–30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until toasted and golden.

Step 2: Boil chicken thighs. Place the chicken thighs in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then cook for 25–30 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove the chicken, chop it into small pieces, and reserve 3 cups of the cooking broth.

Step 3: Sauté veggies. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet. Add the onion and celery and sauté until soft, about 7–10 minutes.

Step 4: Mix stuffing base. In a large bowl, combine the toasted sourdough cubes, sautéed onion and celery, chopped chicken, sage, thyme, flour, salt, and pepper.

Step 5: Combine wet ingredients. Whisk the eggs and reserved chicken broth in a separate bowl until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients over the bread mixture and gently stir until everything is evenly coated.

Step 6: Bake stuffing. Transfer the mixture to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes, or until set and lightly golden on top.

Step 7: Enjoy! Let the stuffing cool slightly before serving so the stuffing holds its shape.

Best sourdough Bread for Sourdough Stuffing

You can use just about any kind of sourdough bread to make stuffing. I used sourdough French bread in this recipe, but you can also use:

• Sourdough baguettes
• Sourdough sandwich bread
• Sourdough discard sandwich bread
• Milk and honey sourdough

Tips for the Best Sourdough Stuffing Texture

• Toasting the bread is essential—it prevents soggy stuffing and deepens the flavor.
• If you prefer a softer stuffing, add an extra ½–1 cup of broth before baking.
• For crispier edges, bake uncovered and broil for the last 1–2 minutes.
• Let the stuffing rest before serving so it slices cleanly.
• Use stale sourdough if you have it. It absorbs broth better.

Substitutions & Variations to Try

• Swap the chicken for turkey, rotisserie chicken, or omit for a vegetarian version.
• Replace the broth with vegetable broth for a meatless stuffing.
• Additions like sausage, mushrooms, dried cranberries, or toasted pecans bring fun flavor twists.
• Use rosemary or poultry seasoning if you don’t have fresh herbs.

Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating

• Assemble the stuffing up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate. Add 5–10 extra minutes to the bake time.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10–15 minutes to regain crisp edges.
• Freeze baked stuffing for up to 3 months; thaw in the fridge before reheating.

What to Serve With Sourdough Stuffing

• Roast turkey, chicken, or ham
• Mashed or roasted potatoes
• Green beans or brussels sprouts
• Gravy or pan drippings
• Cranberry sauce for a pop of sweetness

FAQs about Sourdough Stuffing

Can I use stale sourdough?

Yes! Stale bread works beautifully and toasts even faster.

Can I use store-bought broth?

Absolutely, just reduce the amount of salt in the recipe.

Can I make it vegetarian?

Yes, skip the chicken and use vegetable broth.

How do I make the top of my Stuffing crispier?

Bake uncovered and broil for 1–2 minutes at the end.

Can I use a different bread?

You can use any kind of bread you’d like, but the flavor and structure won’t match sourdough’s unique texture.

Sourdough Stuffing

This savory sourdough stuffing is made with toasted sourdough bread, sautéed vegetables, fresh herbs, and tender chopped chicken for a hearty, flavorful holiday side. It bakes up perfectly golden and crisp on the edges while staying soft and moist inside.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Ingredients

  

• 5 cups Sourdough bread cut into 1-inch pieces (from about 1 1/4 sourdough French bread loaves. See note 1.)
• 8 tbs butter, divided
• 5 chicken thighs
• 3 cups chicken broth (reserved from cooking the chicken thighs)
• 1/2 an onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 tbs chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 tbs chopped fresh sage (or 1 tsp sage)
• 1/2 cup flour (all-purpose, spelt, or gluten-free)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbs salt (reduce if using salted broth)
• 2 tsp pepper

Instructions

 

• Toast the bread: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the sourdough cubes on a baking sheet. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and drizzle it over the bread. Toss to coat, then bake for 20–30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden and toasted. Set aside.
• Cook the chicken: Add the chicken thighs to a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 25–30 minutes, or until fully cooked. Remove the chicken, chop it into small pieces, and reserve 3 cups of the cooking broth.
• Sauté the vegetables: While the chicken cooks, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet. Add the onions and celery and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 7–10 minutes.
• Combine the stuffing base: In a large mixing bowl, combine the toasted sourdough cubes, sautéed onions and celery, chopped chicken, sage, thyme, flour, salt, and pepper.
• Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and the reserved chicken broth until smooth. Pour this mixture over the bread mixture and gently stir until everything is evenly coated. The mixture will be wet.
• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Bake: Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Transfer the stuffing mixture into the dish and spread it evenly. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until set and lightly golden on top.
• Serve: Let the stuffing cool for a few minutes before serving so it holds together nicely.

Notes

1. I recommend using our sourdough French bread for this sourdough stuffing.

Keyword sourdough stuffing, sourdough stuffing recipe

You’re going to Love this

I don’t like to make bold statements (that’s not true, I love to make bold statements boldly), but I’m confident your family is going to go nuts for this stuffing. So confident, in fact, you don’t even need to tell them you did anything different. Just set the stuffing on the table and bask in their compliments. Happy baking, friend!

For More Sourdough Recipes, Check out:

Cinnamon Sourdough Bread

Sourdough Buttermilk Biscuits

Sourdough French Bread (Simple Homemade Recipe)

How to Make Sourdough Starter: A Beginner’s Step‑by‑Step + Free Printable!