With holiday dinners fast approaching, home cooks are preparing the menus for their family feasts. For many, this means a turkey and stuffing/dressing as a side dish. There are many decisions to be made regarding the stuffing, and chief among them is what bread to use. Food & Wine brings us chefs' top choices for this important stuffing ingredient.

Kish family two-bread stuffing from Food & Wine Magazine

Sourdough bread was the consensus choice, valued for its "complex flavor and robust structure." Some chefs prefer to mix another bread such as a rich challah or brioche to provide richness. To make the texture more interesting, chef Rosie Mitchell prefers to tear the bread into pieces instead of cutting it with a knife. “Those uneven edges toast up differently, so you get some soft, custardy bites and some golden, crispy ones,” she says.

If you are not a fan of sourdough, there are other excellent options such as the previously mentioned brioche, which makes for a decadent stuffing, baguette, focaccia, and the perennial Southern favorite: cornbread. Chef Christian Gill says that the “touch of tang from the buttermilk and the natural sweetness and texture of the cornmeal give you something both nostalgic and highly functional.” What is your go-to bread for stuffing? I am a heathen and prefer wild rice-based stuffing, but my husband likes bread stuffing so I'm eager to learn about your favorites.