St. Louis Bread Company Bread Stuffing

Source: Sue Stees, St. Louis Bread Company

6 cups 1/2-inch Saint Louis Bread sourdough or French Bread cubes
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery, stalks with leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 to 1 cup melted butter
1 cup of your favorite additions, chopped pecans, water chestnuts,
    toasted, sliced almonds, currants, wild rice, gently saut ed
Chopped oysters or saut ed mushrooms

To make the bread cubes, start with a loaf of bread. Remove the crusts and cut the bread into 1/2 inch cubes until you have about 6 cups. Spread them out on a cutting board and allow them to dry, if possible, overnight.

The next day, place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Add onion celery, thyme, sage, pepper and your favorite ingredient. Toss until well mixed. Add melted butter, using larger amount if you like your stuffing moist and toss gently. Stuff your 8-10 pound turkey and roast as directed.

To prepare stuffing on its own, place stuffing in shallow baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F or 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender. If the stuffing dries out, you may wish to add a little chicken broth as it cooks.