Sourdough Spelt Stuffing

A low FODMAP stuffing of sourdough spelt bread, butter, garlic-infused olive oil, carrot, celery, scallion greens, sage, thyme, rosemary, and broth.

Prep 20 min

Cook 1 hr 20 min

Serves 8

Low-lactose

Ingredients

• 1 lb (about 450 g) sourdough spelt bread (Bakery on Main or similar traditional long-ferment loaf), cut into 3/4-inch cubes, about 10 cups
• 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, plus 1 teaspoon for the dish
• 2 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
• 1 medium carrot (about 3 oz / 85 g), finely diced
• 1 stalk celery (about 1 1/2 oz / 40 g), finely diced
• 1/2 cup (about 40 g) thinly sliced scallion greens, dark-green parts only (or leek greens, dark-green parts only)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) low-FODMAP chicken broth, warm
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Dry the Bread

1. Heat the oven to 275°F (135°C). Spread the spelt cubes in a single layer on a sheet pan.
2. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until the cubes are dry and lightly crisp but not browned. You want them bone-dry so they soak up the broth without turning to mush.
3. Tip the dry cubes into a large mixing bowl and raise the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Sweat the Vegetables

1. Melt the butter with the garlic-infused oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the diced carrot and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, for 6 to 8 minutes, until softened and just starting to pick up color at the edges.
3. Add the scallion greens and cook for another 2 minutes, until bright and wilted. Pull the pan off the heat.
4. Stir in the parsley, sage, thyme, and rosemary so the herbs bloom in the warm fat.

Assemble and Bake

1. Scrape the vegetable-herb mixture over the dry bread cubes. Toss to coat every cube.
2. Whisk the beaten egg into the warm chicken broth, then pour over the bread a little at a time, folding gently, until the cubes are evenly moistened but not swimming. Season with the fine salt and several grinds of black pepper.
3. Grease a 9x13-inch (3-quart) baking dish with the extra teaspoon of butter. Pack the stuffing in loosely; don't press it down.
4. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is deeply golden and crisp and the interior reads 165°F (74°C).
5. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips & Substitutions

• Use a true long-ferment sourdough spelt loaf. Monash lists traditional sourdough spelt bread as low FODMAP at about 2 slices (50g), and this recipe uses about 56 g (roughly 2 slices) per serving, so keep to one helping. Loaves that skip the slow ferment don't get the same fructan reduction, so look for "traditionally fermented" on the bag.
• Leek greens instead of scallion greens. Swap in 1/2 cup sliced dark-green leek tops, which are low FODMAP at 1 cup (75 g) per serve. Leave out the whites and pale green parts, which are high in fructans.
• Make it dairy-free. Replace the butter with another 4 tablespoons of garlic-infused olive oil. The stuffing will be a touch less rich but still carries the aromatic base.
• Gluten-free version. Use a gluten-free sourdough or a sturdy gluten-free sandwich loaf in place of the spelt. Spelt is a wheat relative and contains gluten, so it is off-limits for celiac diagnoses regardless of the FODMAP math.
• Stuff the bird or bake separately. Baked separately (as written) the top stays crisp. If you spoon it into the turkey cavity, the stuffing itself must reach 165°F (74°C) in its center before you take it out, even if the bird is done first.
• Make-ahead window. Assemble through step 3, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add 10 extra minutes to the covered bake time straight from the fridge.

Why This Works

Long-fermented sourdough spelt. The multi-hour sourdough culture breaks down spelt's fructans, and Monash rates traditional sourdough spelt low FODMAP at 2 slices. More on why sourdough works on a low-FODMAP diet.

Garlic-infused oil carries the garlic flavor without the fructans. Fructans don't dissolve in oil, so strained garlic-infused oil gives the stuffing its garlic flavor with no garlic in the pan.

Scallion greens and leek greens replace chopped onion. Onion's fructans concentrate in the white bulb. The dark-green tops of scallions and leeks are low-FODMAP and deliver the allium note that onion would normally provide in a Thanksgiving stuffing.

Measured vegetables and homemade broth. One celery stalk split 8 ways is about 5 g per serving, far under the 74 g low FODMAP serve, and the linked homemade broth keeps out the onion and garlic most boxed broths contain.

Storage

Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 to 4 days at 40°F (4°C) or below. Reheat covered at 325°F (165°C) for 15 to 20 minutes with a splash of extra broth to re-moisten. To freeze, wrap the cooled baked stuffing tightly and freeze up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. The crisp top softens on reheat; if that matters, run the uncovered dish under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes at the end.