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)!

Drying Bread in the Oven

We start by cubing our bread—for traditional recipes, we favor a simple white sandwich-style loaf—then toast it in the oven at a low 275°F for about 45 minutes, tossing it every now and then to help it dry evenly.

"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.

The stuffing should be moist but not wet. If there is a puddle of broth at the bottom of the bowl, you've added too much. Add more bread to soak up the excess moisture. If the mix is still dry and crumbly, add more liquid and toss gently until it starts to clump together.

Start by cutting the bread of your choice into half-inch cubes. 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.

Bread can become too dry if baked too long which can add to crumb issues. While one recipe may bake wonderfully at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes in one oven, baking in a friend's oven may result in something different.

Ideally, the bread should be slightly stale. A drier bread will soak up all the custard. Bread can be left out with the wrapper open the day before cooking. If you find yourself in a pinch, dry your bread slices in a 275°F oven for 10 minutes before soaking them in the custard.

Toasting bread is a chemical reaction, meaning that some of the molecules (carbohydrates) break apart and the water content is reduced. Due to this chemical reaction, toasting bread might be associated with potential health benefits and could also make bread more easily digestible.

For a solid French toast, aim for sturdy bread with a uniform texture and a soft crust. Hearty sandwich bread, brioche, challah, and shokupan (Japanese milk bread) are all great choices. Avoid rustic loaves with thick crusts or large holes in the interior.

Cook the bread.

Once time is up, your bread should be thoroughly dried out and staled. You can either proceed immediately into implementing the rest of your stuffing recipe or store the dried bread for up to four or five days at room temperature before doing so.

How to dry out bread without an oven? ›

If you don't want to take up space in the oven, you can always leave the bread out on the counter to dry. A day or two before you assemble your stuffing, cut the bread into cubes. Then, lay the cubes onto sheet pans and let them dry out at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours.

Nutrition Notes

Stuffing is essentially bread, salt, and butter, so it probably comes as no surprise that it isn't the healthiest food served on Thanksgiving.

I wrap the bread (loaf, slice, doesn't matter) in a damp paper towel and microwave for a short amount of time. 10-15 seconds for a slice.

Store bread cut-side down

The crust is a natural bag of sorts, keeping moisture in and dryness out. I can typically keep my bread like this for a day or two (remember, it's very dry here) on my cutting board, which I move to a breadbox.

Wrap the bread in a damp (not soaking) towel, place on a baking sheet, and pop it in the oven for 5-10 minutes. In the microwave: Wrap the bread in a damp (not soaking) towel, place it on a microwave-safe dish, and microwave on high for 10 seconds.

Let your dough rise enough before baking it

If the dough doesn't fill out with gas, perhaps because it hasn't had time to rise properly, the inside of the loaf will remain soggy and dense as the dough won't bake properly.