Toad in the hole is sausages baked in Yorkshire pudding batter, and it’s one of the cheapest proper dinners there is: eight sausages, three eggs, flour and milk, with an onion gravy made while it bakes. It needs one heavy roasting tray and a hot oven, and very little else.
I cooked this from the recipe below for the photos on this page, in a white enamel roasting tray, and served it with mash, peas and the onion gravy. The batter rose well and went crisp at the edges, but I left the sausages on their own for longer than the 15 minutes here, and they came out darker than I’d like. So stick to the 15: they carry on cooking once the batter’s in.
The one rule that matters: the fat in the tray has to be smoking hot when the batter goes in. That’s what makes it puff up around the sausages instead of sitting flat. Get the batter made first, let it stand while the sausages brown, and then work quickly.
Toad in the Hole with Onion Gravy
Sausages browned in a hot tray, then baked in a Yorkshire pudding batter until puffed and golden, with a simple onion gravy.
Ingredients
- Plain flour 140g
- Eggs 3
- Milk 175ml
- Pork sausages 8
- Vegetable oil 3 tbsp
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For the gravy: onions, thinly sliced 2
- Butter 15g
- Plain flour 1 tbsp
- Hot beef stock 400ml
- Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp
Method
- Put the flour in a bowl with a pinch of salt, add the eggs and milk, and whisk to a smooth batter with no lumps. Leave it to stand while you start the sausages.
- Heat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C, gas 7). Put the sausages and oil in a heavy roasting tray, about 20 × 30cm, and roast for 15 minutes, until browned and the oil is very hot.
- Take the tray out and, working quickly while the oil is smoking hot, give the batter a stir and pour it in around the sausages. Get it straight back in the oven.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the batter is puffed, crisp and deep golden. Don’t open the oven door for the first 20 minutes or it may sink.
- Meanwhile, make the gravy. Soften the onions in the butter in a frying pan over a low heat for about 15 minutes, until soft and starting to colour. Stir in the flour, then gradually the hot stock and the Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring, until thickened, and season to taste.
- Cut the toad in the hole into portions at the table and serve with the gravy.
Tips for getting it right
- Smoking-hot fat. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the batter soaks it up and stays flat. Pour it in the moment the tray comes out.
- Use a heavy tray. A thin tray loses its heat as soon as the cold batter hits it. Enamel, cast iron or a heavy roasting tin all hold it well.
- Keep the door shut. A blast of cool air in the first 20 minutes is the usual reason a toad in the hole sinks.
- Watch the sausages. They brown in the tray and then keep cooking in the batter, so if your oven runs hot, give them a little less time on their own.
- Let the batter rest. Even 15 minutes while the sausages brown helps it rise.
How to serve it
Mash and peas are the classic, with plenty of the onion gravy. Green beans or buttered cabbage work just as well. If you’re weighing up whether a whole dinner is worth heating the big oven for, our air fryer vs oven running costs guide sets out what each one costs to run. There are more of the recipes I’ve cooked in our Kitchen & Food section.
Keeping and reheating
- Keep: leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 2 days, and the gravy separately.
- Reheat: in a hot oven for about 10 minutes, until piping hot all the way through. The microwave works, but the batter goes soft.
FAQs
Why didn’t my toad in the hole rise?
Almost always because the fat wasn’t hot enough when the batter went in, or the oven door was opened too early. Heat the oil in the tray with the sausages until it’s smoking, pour the batter in quickly, and keep the door shut for the first 20 minutes.
Should the batter rest before baking?
It helps. Letting it stand for 15 to 30 minutes while the sausages brown gives a lighter, taller rise. You can also make it a few hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge; stir it well before pouring.
What sausages are best for toad in the hole?
Ordinary thick pork sausages work well. Brown them in the tray first so they colour before the batter goes in, because they won’t brown much once they’re surrounded by it.
Can you make toad in the hole in advance?
It’s best straight from the oven, when the batter is at its crispest. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat well in a hot oven for about 10 minutes, until piping hot all the way through.
What do you serve with toad in the hole?
Onion gravy, mash and a green vegetable such as peas, green beans or cabbage are the usual. It’s a filling dish, so it doesn’t need much else.
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