Toad in the hole
Plump sausages baked in a puffed-up Yorkshire pudding batter, served with onion gravy.
- Prep
- 15 mins
- Cook
- 50 mins
- Total
- 1 hr 5 mins
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost
- Budget
Recipe: Toad in the hole
Toad in the hole
Ingredients
- 8 pork sausages, good-quality; check for gluten
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil or beef dripping
- 140g plain flour
- 1 tsp English mustard powder, optional
- 4 eggs, medium
- 200ml milk
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked, optional
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Kitchen kit
- Roasting tin or ovenproof dish, about 20 x 30cm (metal is best) Search Amazon for metal roasting tin 30cm
- Balloon whisk Search Amazon for balloon whisk
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Method
-
Step 1: Make the batter
Whisk the flour, mustard powder and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Make a well, add the eggs and a little milk and whisk to a smooth paste, then whisk in the remaining milk. Stir in the thyme and rest for 30 minutes.
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Step 2: Brown the sausages
Heat the oven to 220°C / 200°C fan / gas 7. Put the oil and sausages in the tin and roast for 15 minutes until lightly browned all over.
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Step 3: Add the batter
Make sure the fat is sizzling hot – if not, return the tin to the oven for a few minutes. Quickly pour the batter around the sausages.
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Step 4: Bake
Bake for 30–35 minutes without opening the door, until the batter is risen, deep golden and crisp. The sausages should be cooked through with no pink in the middle. Serve at once with onion gravy and greens.
Tips
- A metal tin conducts heat better than ceramic and gives a better rise.
- Resting the batter helps it rise and gives a lighter texture.
Storing & reheating
Cool, cover and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking; eat within 2 days and reheat only once, until steaming hot all the way through. The batter will lose its crispness.
Freezing
Not ideal to freeze once baked; the batter turns soggy.
Variations
- Use vegetarian sausages for a meat-free version.
- Add wedges of red onion with the sausages.
Allergies: Always check the labels of the ingredients you buy for allergens — our dietary tags are a guide, not a guarantee.
From feeed.co.uk/recipes/toad-in-the-hole/ · Checked 17 October 2026
Questions people ask
Why is it called toad in the hole?
Nobody knows for sure – the most popular theory is that the sausages peeping out of the batter look like toads poking their heads out of a hole.
What should I serve with it?
Onion gravy, mashed potato and steamed greens or peas are traditional.
Sources & inspiration
Checked 17 October 2026. Written in our own words; we checked proportions, technique and food safety against:
See other recipes that use the same kit on our kitchen kit pages.
