If your bread is fresh, dry it out first: spread the cubes on two sheet pans and bake at 300°F (150°C) for 15 to 20 minutes, until dry to the touch but not browned. Day-old bread can skip this step. Place the cubes in your largest mixing bowl.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish generously.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery with a pinch of the salt and cook, stirring now and then, for 8 to 10 minutes, until very soft and sweet smelling but not browned. Stir in the garlic, sage, thyme, and poultry seasoning and cook 1 minute more, until the herbs bloom in the butter.

Scrape the butter and vegetables over the bread cubes. Add the parsley, the remaining salt, and the pepper, and toss gently with your hands or a big spoon until every cube has met the butter.

Whisk the beaten eggs into 2 1/2 cups of the warm stock. Pour it over the bread a little at a time, tossing between additions. The cubes should feel thoroughly moist and hold together when squeezed, but there should be no puddle of stock in the bottom of the bowl. Add the remaining stock, a splash at a time, only if the mixture still looks dry.

Transfer the stuffing to the prepared dish and spread it into an even layer, pressing down very lightly — pack the corners a little more firmly if you want extra-crisp corner pieces.

Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes, until the center is steaming hot and set.

Remove the foil and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until the top is deeply golden and crisp at the edges. Rest 10 minutes before serving — the center finishes setting and slices (or scoops) much better.