Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet and brush the melted butter over top of them.
Toast the bread under an oven broiler on the low setting, stirring the bread around every couple of minutes until evenly browned.
Turn the oven to bake at 400 degrees F.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, brown the sausage. Add the onion, celery and apples and saute until softened. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Combine the bread crumbs, the sausage mixture and the fresh herbs in a large bowl and add the chicken stock. Stir well.
Grease a large (3 quart) baking dish well with butter.
Spoon the stuffing into the baking dish and smooth.
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until the top has a nicely browned crust.