This recipe from our friends at Little Rusted Ladle is a tender, buttery, delicious bread that has all the flavors of stuffing in a tear-and-share-style loaf.
To make the dough: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine flour with the rest of the dough ingredients in a bowl or the pan of your bread machine set on the dough cycle. Mix and knead until you have a soft, supple dough. Cover and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours; or let the bread machine finish its cycle.
For the filling: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onions, and cook until the vegetables are softened. Remove from the heat and add the sausage, chopped sage, poultry seasoning, and cranberries. Cool to lukewarm, then stir in the cheese and eggs. Season with salt and pepper.
To assemble: Grease a 9" x 5" bread pan. Deflate the risen dough and divide into 40 pieces and roll into balls. Put five or six at a time into the cooled filling, stirring gently so they're coated with the butter and egg.
When all the pieces have been coated, layer the dough and remaining filling in the prepared pan. Cover the pan with greased plastic wrap and let the loaf rise for about 1 hour, until almost doubled.
Halfway through the rise time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes, tenting with foil if needed, until it's deep golden brown. Remove it from the oven and cool on a rack; transfer to a serving plate or serve from the pan.
Refrigerate any leftovers for several days; freeze for longer storage.
