This Is the *Easiest* Way to Dry Bread for Thanksgiving Stuffing (2024)

FAQs

This Is the *Easiest* Way to Dry Bread for Thanksgiving Stuffing? ›

Dry, my pretties, dry (in the oven)!

Giving your bread a quick bake in a 350ºF oven will starve it of its moisture—which is exactly what you're looking for. Cut your loaf into evenly sized cubes or slices (depending on what you're making), and toast them, dry, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.

"If you're using stale bread and adding liquid, there will be nowhere for the liquid to go," says Seixas. "It's like when you're trying to cram more people into a fully booked flight. There's no space for extra moisture to fill." As a result, your stuffing will have a soggy texture.

Cut or tear the bread into 1-inch cubes and spread it evenly on 2 baking sheets. Toast the bread in the oven until completely dry and beginning to crisp and brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Recipe Tip – a few days or even weeks in advance of making stuffing – watch the day old bread shelf at your local market. You can often find high quality artisan loaves reduced from $4.99 to $0.99. Just pop them in the freezer until ready to make cubes.

Refrigeration accelerates bread staling, speeding up the recrystallization of amylopectin and amylose. Unless you need stale bread for French toast, it's better to store your bread at room temperature. Or better yet, try freezing your bread.

To dry out bread for stuffing, dressing and other bread puddings, cook the plain bread cubes (no oil or seasonings) in the air fryer at 350 degrees F until toasted and dried through, 4 to 5 minutes.

Give your sourdough a gentle rub to spread the water around. 2. Dust your loaf lightly with flour.

Spread the cubed bread on top of two cooling racks set in two half-sheet pans. Heat your oven to the lowest setting (typically 150°–200°F) and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until completely dry. If your oven only goes down to, say, 250°, start by baking for 30 minutes, then check the dryness of a cube or two.

Any attempts to make stuffing with soft, fresh baked bread will result in a bread soup with a soggy texture. Follow this tip: Stale, dried-out bread makes the best stuffing.

How do you defrost bread for stuffing? ›

Don't Thaw Bread on the Counter—Heat It

Remove the number of slices you need from the freezer and microwave them on high power until softened, 15 to 25 seconds." If you'd rather skip the microwave, you can also bake slices on a rimmed baking sheet at 325°F for about 5 minutes.

Eggs also add moisture, color, flavor, and nutritional value. Generally, recipes call for large eggs. The most common liquid ingredients in quick breads are milk and water. The liquid moistens the batter, helps activate the gluten in the flour, and dissolves the sugar in the recipe.

If your bread is especially hard, brush the outside with water before wrapping it. Then, heat it on the center rack of your oven for about 30 minutes for a whole loaf; or 15 to 20 minutes for a partial loaf, or if you have a long, skinny loaf like a baguette.