Cooking Tips

How to Dry Out Bread for Stuffing 

Nixing store-bought croutons and drying it yourself makes a big difference. Here’s how to do it. 
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Published Nov. 3, 2022.

Stuffing is arguably your Thanksgiving table’s MVP.

The key to a really good stuffing? Nix the store-bought croutons and dry out your own bread.

DIY dried bread makes for a sturdier, tastier stuffing. It couldn’t be easier!

Plus, it’s make-ahead friendly. Here’s how to do it.

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  1. Cut bread into ½-inch cubes. 
  2. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 250 degrees.
  3. Spread bread cubes in even layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. 
  4. Bake until edges have dried but centers are slightly moist (cubes should yield to pressure), 45 to 60 minutes**, stirring several times during baking.

**Times will vary depending on your bread choice. Hearty white bread will take 45-60 minutes. A more dense corn bread takes 50-60 minutes.

You can dry your bread up to two days in advance! Once cooled, store your bread cubes in a zipper-lock bag and keep them on your counter.

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