Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. with rack in lowest position. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish; set aside.
2. Place turkey on work surface, breast side down, and fill neck cavity with stuffing; avoid packing tightly. Close up by folding skin over and fastening with skewers or trussing needles, if necessary. Turn turkey breast side up; bend wing tips forward and underneath neck cavity so they stay in place (you may have to break wings at joint). Loosely fill large cavity. Using cotton kitchen twine, tie legs together securely (they will overlap) so bird retains its shape and moisture during roasting. Spoon any remaining stuffing into prepared baking dish. Cover with buttered aluminum foil and refrigerate.
3. Set roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Place turkey on rack; rub all sides with butter, and season generously with salt and pepper. Pour 3 cups water into roasting pan. Loosely cover turkey with buttered aluminum foil. Roast 1 hour, then baste every 30 minutes with pan liquids until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone) registers 125 degrees, about 4 to 4 1/2 hours.
4. Remove foil; raise oven temperature to 400 degrees. Continue roasting, brushing 3 to 4 times with maple syrup, until thigh reaches 170 degrees, 30 to 45 minutes more (temperature will rise about 10 degrees as turkey rests after roasting).
5. If turkey browns too quickly, loosely cover with buttered foil; add more water if pan becomes dry. Transfer turkey to a serving platter, cover loosely with buttered foil, and let rest at least 30 minutes before carving so juices are reabsorbed. Reserve pan for making gravy, if desired. When turkey is removed from oven, place remaining dish of stuffing in oven, and bake until warmed through 25 to 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake until golden, about 15 minutes more. Serve with turkey.