The bread serves as the stuffing's foundation. All flavours, whether butter, onion, celery, and broth (for traditional stuffing) or more sophisticated and prominent flavours like sausages and spices. At the end of the day, all of the tastes are absorbed into the bread's texture or crumb. As a result, the bread should be smooth, a neutral-flavoured canvas that does not clash with the powerful flavours of the stuffing. If you follow this logic, you should avoid sourdough bread, German rye bread, and open-crumb bread (bread with large holes) such as ciabatta bread, french bread, and so on. This article discusses which types of bread are best for stuffing.
1. White Sandwich Bread
When everything else fails, white sandwich bread comes into play. This is one of the most commonly used stuffing ingredients for a reason: it has a neutral flavour profile that allows the meat juices and seasoning to show. It serves as a blank canvas for those delicious flavours. It's also really inexpensive. An inexpensive white sandwich bread goes a long way when baking for a large group.
2. English Muffins
If you enjoy the distinct flavours of English muffins, this is an excellent stuffing choice. English muffins produce a denser stuffing that does not absorb flavours as effectively as ordinary white bread. However, it's a tasty experiment that adds interesting flavours to your homemade stuffing. Again, it will not be light. However, it is still a viable option.
3. Baguette
Baguettes are a fun experiment in the stuffing. The open structure doesn't absorb the soup as well as regular white bread, but it's not all bad. Baguettes provide a stuffing that is a little dry but totally bursting with rich flavours. It's not your typical stuffing recipe, but it's a fantastic alternative if you're looking for something unusual. Some cooks prefer baguettes, while others dislike the texture. It is, nevertheless, worth a shot.
4. Challah
Challah is comparable to white sandwich bread except for one key difference: unlike ordinary white bread, Challah incorporates eggs into the dough. This is known as 'enriched dough,' because it ensures a deeper flavour. It also produces a nice airy crumb. It performs similarly to white bread in stuffing but is far more delicious. Challah is an excellent choice for bright, fluffy, and savoury filling. It is, nevertheless, more expensive than white sandwich bread.
5. Bagels
Bagels, believe it or not, offer the perfect flavour and texture to soak up meat juices. They have a solid, compact texture and a moderate flavour. Some individuals believe they are overly dense, which causes the filling to be rather heavy. However, many individuals enjoy it. However, if you want something fluffy, you should avoid this one.