Grain Free Stuffing Bread Cubes -- To Use In Your Favorite Stuffing Recipe

This is the stuffing I made with these for last year's Thanksgiving

This afternoon I made a batch of my Grain Free Stuffing Bread Cubes. I used these last year to make my Thanksgiving stuffing and it turned out great (it was my first wheat free Thanksgiving). I tweaked it just a tad this year. It is simple to make and can be made days ahead of time and then sealed tightly in a Ziploc-type bag to keep crisp until you are ready to use them to make your Thanksgiving stuffing. This recipe makes a grain free equivalent of "seasoned stuffing cubes" that you normally buy at the store (I used Pepperidge Farm or Arnold in the past). You simply substitute these grain free stuffing cubes in your favorite stuffing recipe. It makes about 7 cups of oven dried bread cubes, which is the equivalent to about 1 bag of commercial stuffing mix which normally holds about 6 cups. It is measured after oven drying to get 7 cups (before drying it measures about 10 cups of fresh bread cubes). Tomorrow I will post a stuffing recipe using them that I usually make (sometimes with and sometimes without sausage). Stuffing (or dressing) is one of those dishes where there are a zillion different versions -- and is really a matter of personal preference and to some extent where you are from that determines the style and what you put in it. People tend to be very opinionated about what to put in it and what NOT to put into their stuffing. Some prefer to cook it in the bird and others in a casserole dish. I have made it both ways and frequently make it both ways (in and out of the bird) because it is usually one of those dishes that you can never have too much of. I have not yet tried cooking the grain free stuffing inside the bird -- last year I made both regular stuffing (for the family) and grain free for me. Everything was the same except for the bread cubes used. I hope you enjoy using this recipe as an alternative to the traditional stuffing cubes and enjoy making your favorite stuffing recipe with these. I snapped a few photos of the grain free stuffing bread cubes below as well as the recipe. Enjoy!

Before oven drying...

Here is the dough

Dough has been patted out with a rubber spatula - ready for the oven

Stuffing bread is fresh out of the oven

Cooling before cutting into cubes

Oven dried and ready to be used in your favorite stuffing recipe!

Grain Free "Stuffing" Bread Cubes
Makes 6 to 7 cups toasted bread cubes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup organic coconut flour
1 cup blanched almond flour
2 cups organic ground golden flax seed
4 teaspoons baking powder (aluminum free)
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 eggs (I used organic cage free)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In a medium sized bowl, mix all dry ingredients together; add eggs, water, vinegar and oil and mix well.  Dough will be thick and a bit sticky and slightly springy feeling.  Let the dough sit for about 5 minutes while you prepare the baking pan.  Line a baking pan or cookie sheet with non-stick foil lightly brushed with oil (or parchment paper sprayed or brushed with oil).  Place ball of dough in the center of the pan and begin pressing the dough outward using a lightly oiled rubber spatula to a thickness of 1/4 to 1/2 inches thick.  Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the bread is lightly golden and feels done when pressed near the center. This makes a 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick "stuffing bread".  

Remove bread from oven and transfer to a rack; let cool for approximately 10-15 minutes.  Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees F.  Place cooled bread on a cutting board and cut into approximate 1/2-inch cubes; place cubes back on baking sheet and return to 300 degree oven and bake for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until cubes are dried and crisp (when done, cubes should be hard when pinched or gently squeezed).  When bread cubes are thoroughly dry, hard and toasty, remove from oven and let cool completely. Store in a tightly covered container or Ziploc-type bag to keep moisture out until ready to use.  Makes approximately 6 to 7 cups of toasted dried bread cubes.  Use in your favorite stuffing recipe.