Stuffing Stuffed Sourdough
I know the turkey usually gets all the attention, but I am a fan of the sides. There's just something about buttery bread, savory herbs, onions, and celery that makes Thanksgiving dinner feel complete.
And since we're always looking for another reason to make sourdough around here, I started thinking: What if we took everything we love about Thanksgiving stuffing and baked it right into an artisan sourdough loaf? Well, that's exactly what we're doing!
All the flavors of homemade Thanksgiving stuffing baked into one delicious artisan sourdough loaf that your friends and family are going to love!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
There's a lot to love about a good artisan sourdough loaf, but adding Thanksgiving-inspired ingredients makes it even better.
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All the flavors of Thanksgiving stuffing. Fresh sage, rosemary, thyme, onions, celery, and butter give this bread that classic holiday flavor.
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A beautiful holiday centerpiece. A golden artisan loaf looks right at home on the Thanksgiving table.
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Perfect for Thanksgiving leftovers. Imagine a turkey sandwich made with slices of this bread!
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Naturally fermented. Made with active sourdough starter and a traditional long fermentation.
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Easy to customize. Add cheese, roasted garlic, or even a little cooked sausage to make it your own.
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No complicated shaping required. If you've made an artisan sourdough loaf before, you can absolutely make this one.
And even though it sounds a little fancy, we're really just taking a basic sourdough loaf and adding a few delicious ingredients.
Tips and Tricks for the Best Stuffing Stuffed Sourdough
1. Cook the Vegetables Before Adding Them
This is probably the most important tip for this recipe.
Raw onions and celery release moisture as they cook, and adding them directly to sourdough can create unwanted wet spots inside the loaf.
Sautéing them in butter first helps soften the vegetables, concentrate their flavor, and remove some excess moisture.
It also creates that familiar buttery stuffing flavor we all love.
2. Let the Filling Cool Completely
Adding warm vegetables to your sourdough can affect the dough temperature and make fermentation harder to predict.
Allow the filling to cool to room temperature before adding it.
You can even prepare the filling ahead of time and refrigerate it until you're ready to use it.
3. Don't Overdo the Filling
I know it's tempting to add all the cheese, herbs, and vegetables you can fit into one loaf.
But too many inclusions can make the dough difficult to shape and prevent it from developing a nice structure.
For a 500 g flour loaf, I recommend starting with approximately 150–200 g of cooled filling and cheese combined.
If you're comfortable working with stuffed sourdough, you can experiment with slightly larger amounts.
4. Use Fresh Herbs When Possible
Fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary give this loaf that wonderful Thanksgiving aroma.
Sage is especially important because it's one of the flavors most people associate with traditional stuffing.
If you only have dried herbs, you can absolutely use them.
As a general rule, use approximately one-third the amount of dried herbs compared with fresh.
5. Choose a Cheese That Melts Well
I love the idea of adding small cubes of cheese throughout this loaf.
As the bread bakes, the cheese melts into little pockets of savory goodness.
Some great options include:
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Sharp white cheddar for a classic cheesy flavor
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Gruyère for a slightly nutty, rich flavor
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Fontina for a creamy melt
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Smoked Gouda for a smoky twist
Avoid using too much soft, high-moisture cheese, which can create wet pockets in the dough.
6. Keep the Cheese Inside the Dough
When shaping your loaf, try to keep the cheese cubes away from the outer surface.
Exposed cheese may melt onto the parchment or Dutch oven and brown quickly.
A little melted cheese on the crust is delicious, but keeping most of it inside helps create a more evenly baked loaf.
7. Don't Skip the Cooling Time
This is especially important with stuffed sourdough.
Between the vegetables and melted cheese, the inside of this loaf contains more moisture than a plain artisan loaf.
Cutting into it too early can make the crumb seem gummy, even if the bread is fully baked.
Give it time to cool before slicing.
What Does Thanksgiving Stuffing Sourdough Taste Like?
Imagine taking a bite of homemade sourdough bread and getting all those familiar flavors of Thanksgiving stuffing.
The crust is golden and crisp, while the inside is soft, chewy, and filled with savory herbs.
The sautéed onions and celery add a little sweetness, the sage and thyme give it that traditional holiday flavor, and the melted cheese adds richness.
It's savory, buttery, comforting, and just a little different from your everyday sourdough loaf.
And while it's delicious on its own, I think it's even better served warm with butter.
What to Serve with Stuffing Stuffed Sourdough
This bread was practically made for Thanksgiving dinner!
Serve it alongside:
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Roasted turkey and homemade gravy
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Creamy mashed potatoes
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Green bean casserole
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Roasted Brussels sprouts
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Cranberry sauce
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Sweet potato casserole
It's also wonderful sliced and toasted with a little butter.
But my favorite idea?
Use it to make Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches!
Layer slices of this sourdough with leftover turkey, cranberry sauce, and a little gravy or mayonnaise.
You already have the stuffing flavor baked into the bread, so every bite tastes like Thanksgiving dinner.
Can I Make This Sourdough Ahead of Thanksgiving?
Yes! And that's one of the things I love most about sourdough.
You can prepare the dough the day before, let it ferment, shape it, and refrigerate it overnight.
Then bake it fresh the next morning.
If you want to bake it even earlier, allow the finished loaf to cool completely, wrap it well, and freeze it until you're ready to serve.
This is a great way to make Thanksgiving morning a little less hectic.
How to Store Thanksgiving Stuffing Sourdough
Because this bread contains cooked vegetables and cheese, it should be refrigerated or frozen rather than stored at room temperature for several days.
Refrigerator: Once cooled, store in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
Freezer: Slice the cooled loaf and freeze in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months for best quality.
Reheating: Warm slices in a toaster oven or regular oven at 350°F until heated through.
For a crispy crust, place slices directly on a baking sheet.
You can also toast slices in a skillet with a little butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use sourdough discard?
This recipe is designed for active sourdough starter because it relies on natural fermentation to rise.If you want to use sourdough discard, you'll need to add commercial yeast and adjust the rising times.
Can I leave out the cheese?
Absolutely!The cheese adds richness and little pockets of melted goodness, but the loaf is still delicious without it.
If you prefer a more traditional Thanksgiving stuffing flavor, simply use the sautéed vegetables and herbs.
Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh?
Yes!Use approximately one-third the amount of dried herbs called for in the recipe.
Dried poultry seasoning is another great option because it usually contains several classic Thanksgiving herbs.
Stuffing Stuffed Sourdough
6
2 hours
50 minutes
547
American
And since we're always looking for another reason to make sourdough around here, I started thinking: What if we took everything we love about Thanksgiving stuffing and baked it right into an artisan sourdough loaf? Well, that's exactly what we're doing!
Ingredients
- 500 g all purpose flour
- 325 g water, room temperature
- 100 g active bubbly sourdough starter
- 10 g salt
- ½ cup cooked sausage
- ½ cup yellow onion, finely diced
- ½ cup celery, finely diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced.
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 oz Gruyère cheese, cut into small cubes
Directions
- In the evening, feed your starter. In the morning when your starter is bubbly and has doubled in size assemble your dough.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the active sourdough starter, honey, and filtered water. Stir until the starter is dissolved and turns into a milky color.
- Add the all-purpose flour and salt to the mixture. Using your hands or a spatula, mix until no dry flour remains and you have a shaggy dough.
- Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- After resting, perform your first set of stretch and folds by pulling one side of the dough up and over the middle, rotating your bowl and repeating until a semi-smooth dough forms. Cover and let rest for another 45 minutes.
- After your first stretch and fold, start cooking for stuffing fillings.
- Peel and dice your carrot, onion and celery and cook until translucent (about 5 - 7 minutes) and let cool completely.
- Brown your sausage, drain well and let cool.
- For your second stretch and fold, add your fillings directly on top of the dough. Stretch and fold by one side of the dough up and over the middle, rotating your bowl until all of the filling is mostly incorporated but it doesn’t have to be perfect. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes.
- Repeat your stretch and folds 1 - 2 more times until the dough is strong, and the ingredients are fully incorporated throughout the dough.
- Cover with a bowl cover or damp towel and let rest on the counter for 6 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size and can pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- In the afternoon, your dough should have doubled in size. Turn it over onto a clean work surface and gently stretch and shape into a rectangle. Evenly disperse your cubed cheese all over the surface.
- Fold each side of your dough over into the middle like an envelope, spread any remainder cheese you have and roll it up into the shape of your banneton, careful not to over work and tear the dough so the fillings come out.
- Cover and place in the fridge overnight. Or up to 2 days.
- When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) and place a Dutch oven (with its lid) inside to heat up for about 30 minutes.
- Turn your dough from the banneton over onto a piece of parchment paper and score the top with a sharp knife or razor.
- Using oven mitts, place the loaf (with parchment) into the hot Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove the lid and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is deep golden brown.
- Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing!
