1. Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).

2. Coat sides of a 4-quart (4-L) baking dish with nonstick spray or butter. Sourdough crust can be left on or removed. (If left on, 1 large sourdough loaf is all that's needed.) Cut loaf into ½-inch (1-cm) cubes-there should be about 16 cups (4 L). (Tip: Turn bread into your baking dish or casserole to measure capacity. Bread should fill dish to brim. If necessary, select 2 baking dishes.) Spread cubes out on 2 baking sheets; bake 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once, or until golden tipped. Cool on a rack.

3. Meanwhile, heat butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until softened. Add mushrooms, sage, thyme, savoury and pepper. Sauté another 5 minutes, stirring often. Cool sautéed vegetables in a large mixing bowl.

4. Without washing frying pan, return to medium heat; crumble in sausage. Sauté, stirring often and breaking up sausage as needed, for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Add sausage to vegetables. Drain and discard fat. Deglaze pan by pouring wine into pan. Use a spatula to scrape up all the browned bits; stir in ½ tsp (2 mL) salt. Stir hot wine into sausage and vegetables.

5. Stir bread cubes into vegetable-sausage mixture in several additions until combined. Lightly pat down into dish; pour over stock. Taste stuffing; sprinkle with remaining salt if needed and stir. (If making ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Add 10 to 15 minutes to baking time.)

6. Cover stuffing and bake 40 to 45 minutes or until centre is hot. If you want a crusty stuffing, uncover for the last 15 minutes of baking. Take a bit of the stuffing from the centre of dish; if not moist enough for your taste, drizzle stuffing with additional hot stock. Garnish with a sprinkling of additional fresh herbs such as sage, thyme or parsley. Serve with turkey and plenty of gravy.