Step 1

Preheat oven to 350º. Butter a 9 X 13 glass baking dish.

Step 2

Tear dried bread into pieces and place in a large bowl. Add toasted and chopped pecans to the bowl.

Step 3

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and add sausage breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned and cooked through about 7-10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to bowl with bread.

Step 4

In the same skillet add onions and celery, season with salt and pepper, sage and bay leaf and cook until onions are slightly browned and soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread.

Step 5

Reduce heat to medium and add wine to the skillet, scraping up the browned bits. Cook until almost evaporated, about 1 minutes. Add ½ cup of butter, stirring until melted. Pour over bread mixture.

Step 6

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and chicken stock and pour over bread mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to baking dish and dot with remaining ¼ cup of butter.

Step 7

Cover baking dish with foil. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a knife inserted in center comes out hot. Increase temperature to 450º. Remove foil and bake uncovered until golden brown and crisp, 20-25 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.