Pre-heat oven: 160oc Fan, 180oc conventional, Gas mark 3.
Tear or cube the bread into roughly 2” pieces and scatter onto a baking tray. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time until they crisp and go dry. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Tip into a very large bowl.
In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the onion, celery and carrot and sweat down for 10 minutes until they soften and go glossy. Add the malt extract and stir through. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Add to the bread cube bowl along with the herbs, Nuttimalt and malted wheat flakes. Add the chopped chestnuts and dried cranberries. Toss all the ingredients together.
In a jug, make up the stock (if not using pre-made), whisk in the eggs and add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Pour this over the mixture in the large bowl, and gently stir all together. Transfer to a large, greased baking dish.
Cover loosely with foil and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for a further 30 minutes until the top goes golden and the bread crisps up. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving with the rest of your Thanksgiving dinner.
