Why Challah Bread Is A Perfect Choice For Stuffing

Stuffing is a great way to meld multiple ingredients for a casserole-like dish without the heavy dairy component; there's a reason it's such a necessary side dish at Thanksgiving. It's also an excellent way to use up leftover ingredients in your fridge and avoid food waste, which is always a concern in an age of inflated grocery prices. And as everyone knows, the key component of stuffing is bread. But what bread should you use? There's a lot of options to choose from.

One great choice in particular, though, is challah. A traditional Jewish bread, challah is great for stuffing for the same reason it's great for virtually any nonspecific bread situation: Its richness and distinct but not overwhelming egg flavor pair well with everything. Sure, you don't want to use it in place of rye bread in a Reuben sandwich, but beyond recipes that require a specific bread, challah is always a great choice.

Simply put, challah is great at enhancing other ingredients without overpowering them; you can put pretty much anything in stuffing with challah and it will work — which isn't true of, say, rye bread. Challah's richness and slightly sweet flavor make it something that marries well with most other stuffing components. The same is true for challah's ability to play well with other breads or bread products, which is why you'll find recipes calling for it in conjunction with sourdough or even cornbread (which, okay, sure, isn't technically bread, but it's close enough to prove the point).

This versatility is great for stuffing in particular because stuffing doesn't have a set list of ingredients. You can make a more savory stuffing with caramelized onions or a sweeter version with something like apples, and challah is going to be a great choice for both situations. There's pretty much no classic stuffing ingredient that won't work with challah.

Challah's history dates back to the 15th century, but only in America did it assume its modern form. Challah does have a certain sweetness, but it doesn't have the overwhelming amount of sugar typically present in American white bread. This lack of overwhelming sweetness is a big part of why it's so versatile in things like stuffing. But stuffing also isn't the only unexpected use for challah. As egg bread, it's perfect for things like French toast or bread pudding (whether sweet or savory, but its uses go even further. It's great for donuts and cinnamon rolls, and it has the solidity for sandwiches if you cut it the right way (it works particularly well for the savory, dairy-rich flavor of a grilled cheese).

However you use challah, it's hard to go wrong with it. Try it the next time you make stuffing and see its virtues yourself.