The Ultimate Savory Thanksgiving Stuffing Focaccia

Are you ready to bake the undisputed, show-stopping star of your holiday table this year? Tired of the endless debate between serving dinner rolls or a traditional stuffing? What if you could combine the very best of both worlds into one incredible, savory, and completely unforgettable dish? This amazing Thanksgiving Stuffing Focaccia is the creative, delicious answer you’ve been searching for.

This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a brilliant fusion of two beloved classics that will redefine your holiday bread basket. We’ll show you how to create a simple, from-scratch focaccia dough that bakes up with a wonderfully crisp, olive oil-rich crust and a soft, chewy interior. But here’s the magic: we infuse the dough itself with the classic, aromatic flavors of stuffing—sautéed celery, onion, and sage. Topped with crispy Italian sausage and a classic salt brine, this is the ultimate Thanksgiving carb-lover’s dream.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Recipe Overview: The Best of Both Worlds

What makes this Thanksgiving Stuffing Focaccia a new holiday must-have is its incredible and unique combination of textures and flavors. It delivers the satisfying goodness of a fresh-baked bread, while also providing all the complex, savory-sweet notes of a traditional sausage and herb stuffing, all in one pan. The focaccia base is surprisingly simple to make, and the use of a traditional Italian salt brine (salamoia) is the secret to an incredibly moist crumb and a beautifully textured top. It’s a stunning, rustic centerpiece that is guaranteed to be the first thing to disappear.

Metric	Time / Level
Total Time	4 hours 30 minutes (includes rising time)
Active Prep Time	35 minutes
Difficulty Level	Intermediate
Servings	12-16

The Essential Ingredients for This Showstopper

This recipe uses a symphony of fresh, savory ingredients to create its stunning result.

• The Enriched Focaccia Dough: The soft, chewy, and crispy foundation of our dish.
  • The Aromatics: We create a “stuffing base” by slowly sautéing celery and onion in butter with fresh sage. This cooked mixture is then folded directly into the dough, infusing every single bite with classic stuffing flavor. Crushed chicken bouillon cubes are a brilliant secret ingredient that adds a deep, savory, umami-rich flavor.
  • Yeast, Flour, and Water: The simple building blocks for a classic, high-hydration (wet) focaccia dough, which is the key to a light and airy crumb.
  • Good Olive Oil: Focaccia is all about a good quality extra-virgin olive oil! We use it in the dough for tenderness, generously in the pan to create a crispy, almost-fried bottom crust, and drizzled on top for flavor.
• The Topping & Brine:
  • Sweet Italian Sausage: Provides a savory, herbaceous, and slightly sweet flavor and a wonderful, crispy textural contrast to the soft bread.
  • The Salt Brine (Salamoia): This is an authentic, classic Italian technique that takes this focaccia to the next level. A simple mixture of kosher salt and warm water is poured over the dimpled dough before the final rise. It seasons the bread from the top down and keeps the interior incredibly moist and flavorful.

Step-by-Step to the Perfect Stuffing Focaccia

Making yeast dough is a fun and rewarding project. Follow these detailed steps for a perfect, show-stopping result.

Part 1: Create the Savory Stuffing Base & Cook the Sausage

Step 1: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter until it is foaming. Add the diced celery and onion. Cook, stirring often, for 12 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft but not browned. Sprinkle with the chopped sage, the crushed bouillon cubes, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in 1/4 cup of water and cook for about 3 minutes, until the bouillon has dissolved and the water has evaporated. Transfer this savory vegetable mixture to a plate and let it cool completely to room temperature.

Step 2: While the vegetables cool, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it up with the back of a spoon, for about 5 minutes, until it is golden brown and crisp. Transfer the cooked sausage to a plate and let it cool.

Part 2: Make and Knead the Focaccia Dough

Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the 6 cups of all-purpose flour, the package of active dry yeast, and the 2 teaspoons of sugar.

Step 2: Using the dough hook on low speed, stir in the 2 1/2 cups of warm water (80 to 85°F) and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Mix until the flour is completely moistened. Let the dough stand for 5 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate.

Step 3: Add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and knead the dough on medium speed for 5 minutes. The dough will be very wet and sticky.

Step 4: With the mixer on low, add the completely cooled vegetable mixture and the chopped fresh parsley. Mix just until they are incorporated.

Part 3: The First Rise

Rub 2 tablespoons of olive oil around the bottom and sides of a large mixing bowl. Using a spatula, transfer the sticky dough to the bowl and flip it once to coat it completely with oil.

Cover the bowl with a plate or plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

Part 4: Shape, Top, and the Second Rise

Step 1: Pour the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil into the bottom of an 18×13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Use your hands to spread the oil evenly along the bottom and up the sides.

Step 2: Scrape the risen dough into the prepared baking sheet. With oiled hands, gently press and stretch the dough to fit into an even layer. If the dough starts to pull back, let it rest for 10 minutes and then continue to stretch it to the corners.

Step 3: Top the dough evenly with the cooled, cooked sausage. Use your oiled fingertips to make deep dimples all over the surface of the focaccia, pressing down firmly through the sausage and into the dough.

Step 4: For the brine, dissolve 1 teaspoon of kosher salt in 1/4 cup of warm water. Drizzle this salt brine over the entire surface of the focaccia, allowing it to pool in the dimples you created.

Step 5: Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap (lightly sprayed with nonstick spray) and let it sit in a warm place for its second rise, for about 45 minutes.

Part 5: Bake to Crispy, Golden Perfection

Step 1: While the dough is on its second rise, preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C).

Step 2: Uncover the dough and sprinkle it with a generous pinch of flaky sea salt.

Step 3: Bake, rotating the baking sheet once halfway through, for 30 to 35 minutes. The focaccia is perfectly done when it is a deep golden brown on both the top and the bottom.

Step 4: Drizzle the hot focaccia with the final 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and let it sit for 5 minutes before you use a spatula to transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

This Stuffing Focaccia is a fantastic make-ahead option for a stress-free holiday.

• Make-Ahead: You can make the focaccia dough a day in advance. After its first rise, you can store it, covered, in the refrigerator (this is called a “cold ferment,” and it will develop even more flavor!). You can also cook the stuffing topping and store it in a separate airtight container in the fridge. On the day of, let the dough come to room temperature for about an hour, then press it into the pan and proceed with the second rise and assembly.
• Storage: Store any leftover focaccia, well-wrapped, at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• Reheating: The best way to reheat the focaccia is in a 375°F oven for about 5-10 minutes, until it is warmed through and the crust has crisped up again.

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Creative Recipe Variations

This unique and delicious recipe is a wonderful base for your own creative and festive twists.

1. Make it Vegetarian: For a delicious vegetarian version, simply omit the sausage. To add a savory, “meaty” element, you can sauté 1 pound of chopped mushrooms with the celery and onions. Be sure to use vegetable bouillon and broth.
2. Add a Cheesy Finish: For a savory, cheesy crust, you can sprinkle 1/2 to 1 cup of grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese over the top of the focaccia during the last 5 minutes of baking.
3. Classic Cranberry & Walnut Topping: For a more traditional sweet-and-savory stuffing flavor profile, you can add 1/2 cup of dried cranberries and 1/2 cup of toasted, chopped walnuts to the sausage topping.

Enjoy Your New Holiday Tradition!

You’ve just created a truly special side dish that is a perfect fusion of two of the most beloved holiday classics. This Thanksgiving Stuffing Focaccia is a vibrant, satisfying, and sophisticated dish that is guaranteed to earn a permanent spot on your holiday menu. It’s a beautiful and delicious way to bring something new and exciting to your feast.

We hope you and your loved ones enjoy every last, delicious bite!

If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who is looking for a new Thanksgiving side dish!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)