Cut the day-old white bread into 1-inch cubes. To stale the bread, either leave the cubes spread out on a sheet pan overnight to dry, or use the quick method: preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C), lay the bread cubes on a sheet pan, and bake for about 30 minutes, tossing every 5-10 minutes, until they are dry but not browned.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease a 9x9-inch baking dish with butter or oil. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt 3/4 cup butter. Add the chopped onions and celery and sauté until completely softened, about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. This slow cooking really draws out the sweetness of the onions.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the kosher salt, ground black pepper, poultry seasoning, dried marjoram, chopped fresh sage, and chopped parsley. Mixing the herbs in off the heat helps preserve their fresh flavor. I like to add an extra pinch of sage here for even more aroma.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and chicken stock or broth. In a large mixing bowl, place the dried bread cubes (from Step 1). Pour the onion and herb mixture (from Step 3) over the bread and stir to combine. Then pour the egg and broth mixture over the bread cubes and mix until all the liquid is absorbed.

Transfer the stuffing mixture to the prepared, buttered baking dish. Dot the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cubed butter. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. For an extra crispy top, you can turn the broiler on for 1-2 minutes—just keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn!

Remove the stuffing from the oven. Let it cool slightly, then serve right away. I find letting the stuffing rest for just five minutes makes it easier to slice and keeps all those flavors melded nicely.