Some dishes don’t need updating, reworking, or modernising. They just need to be cooked properly. Toad in the Hole is one of them. Crisp sausages, light, puffed Yorkshire pudding batter, and a jug of proper gravy. Simple on paper, but when it’s done right, it’s unbeatable.
Toad in the Hole
Toad in the Hole is British comfort food at its absolute finest.
It’s the kind of dish that feels like home, even if you didn’t grow up eating it. A bubbling roasting dish pulled from the oven, sausages poking through a golden, risen batter, edges crisp and dark, the middle soft and airy. It doesn’t arrive quietly. It demands gravy, attention, and second helpings.
This isn’t fancy food. It’s honest food. And that’s exactly why it works.
At its core, Toad in the Hole is sausages baked into Yorkshire pudding batter. That’s it. No tricks. No distractions. But like most traditional British dishes, the magic is in the execution. Temperature, timing, and confidence matter more than ingredients lists.
When it’s done badly, it’s flat and greasy. When it’s done well, it’s majestic.
Why Toad in the Hole has stood the test of time
Toad in the Hole has been around for centuries because it solves a very British problem, how do you make a filling, satisfying meal with simple, affordable ingredients.
Sausages bring fat and flavour. Batter stretches them further, soaking up juices and turning them into something bigger than the sum of their parts. Add gravy and you’ve got a dish that feeds a family, warms the bones, and leaves nobody hungry.
It’s practical food. Resourceful food. And deeply comforting food.
There’s also something theatrical about it. The batter rising around the sausages, the smell as it cooks, the anticipation while you wait for it to puff and brown. It’s a dish that earns its place on the table.
Good sausages make all the difference
This is not the time for cheap sausages.
Because there are so few ingredients, the quality of each one matters. Good pork sausages with a decent meat content, proper seasoning, and enough fat to flavour the batter are essential.
As the sausages roast, they release fat into the dish. That fat is what cooks the batter, creates lift, and gives you those crisp, golden edges. Without it, the batter won’t rise properly, and the whole thing falls flat.
If you’re choosing sausages, go for something you’d happily eat on their own.
Batter basics, and why resting matters
Yorkshire pudding batter is famously simple, flour, eggs, and milk. But simplicity doesn’t mean casual.
The batter needs to be smooth, lump-free, and rested. Making it first and chilling it while the sausages cook gives the flour time to hydrate and relax. That leads to better rise and lighter texture.
Cold batter hitting hot fat is exactly what you want. That temperature shock is what creates steam, and steam is what makes the batter rise.
The consistency should coat the back of a spoon. Too thick and it won’t rise properly. Too thin and it won’t hold its structure.
This is a batter that rewards patience.
Heat is non-negotiable
If there’s one rule you cannot break with Toad in the Hole, it’s this.
The fat must be screaming hot before the batter goes in.
That moment when you pull the dish from the oven, sausages sizzling, oil shimmering, that’s when you pour. Not a second earlier, not a second later.
Pour the batter confidently and evenly around the sausages. You should hear it sizzle as it hits the pan. That sound is reassurance. That sound means it’s going to work.
Then it goes straight back into the oven, top shelf, door closed. No peeking. No checking. No wobbling.
Opening the oven door releases heat and steam, and steam is your lift. Lose it, and the batter collapses.
The rise, and why you wait
As it cooks, the batter will climb, puff, and stretch around the sausages. The edges will crisp. The middle will rise and set.
This takes time.
Pulling it too early gives you a soggy centre. Waiting until it’s deeply golden ensures structure and flavour. A properly cooked Toad in the Hole should hold its shape when cut, with crisp edges and a soft but set interior.
Patience here is everything.
Gravy is not optional
Toad in the Hole without gravy is unfinished business.
You need something rich and savoury to pour over the top, soaking into the batter, pooling in the dips, tying everything together. Onion gravy is classic, but any proper gravy will do.
This dish was built for gravy. It demands it. Don’t hold back.
Why this dish still works today
In a world full of trends, air fryers, and viral recipes, Toad in the Hole remains unchanged because it doesn’t need improvement.
It’s comforting without being boring. Hearty without being heavy. Familiar without being dull.
It’s also endlessly adaptable. Add onions if you like. Use different sausages. Cook it in one big dish or individual portions. But the foundation remains the same.
Hot fat. Cold batter. Confidence.
When to serve it
This is prime Sunday food. Cold weather food. Family food.
It’s perfect for:
Weekends
Feeding a crowd
When you want something nostalgic
When you want comfort without complication
Serve it with mash if you’re feeling extra. Add greens if you must. But honestly, sausages, batter, and gravy are more than enough.
Ingredients
8 good quality pork sausages
140 g plain flour
4 eggs
220 ml milk
1 tbsp sunflower oil
How to make Toad in the Hole
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Start by making the batter. Add the flour to a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs and whisk until well combined.
Gradually add the milk, whisking between additions, until you have a smooth batter that coats the back of a spoon.
Pour the batter into a jug and place it in the fridge to rest.
Put the sausages into a suitable oven dish, add the sunflower oil, and bake for 20–25 minutes until lightly browned, turning halfway through.
Carefully remove the dish from the oven. The fat should be sizzling hot.
Immediately pour the cold batter into the dish around the sausages until they are half submerged.
Return the dish to the top shelf of the oven and close the door straight away.
Bake for 25–30 minutes until well risen, deeply golden, and crisp. Do not open the oven door during cooking.
Serve immediately with plenty of gravy.
FAQs
Why didn’t my batter rise?
The fat probably wasn’t hot enough, or the oven door was opened too early.
Can I use any sausages?
You can, but better sausages give better results.
Should the batter be cold?
Yes. Cold batter hitting hot fat creates steam and lift.
Can I make this ahead?
It’s best served fresh, straight from the oven.
Do I need oil as well as sausage fat?
Yes. A little extra oil helps ensure there’s enough hot fat for the batter to rise properly.
Toad in the Hole is proof that British comfort food doesn’t need reinvention. It just needs respect, good ingredients, and confidence. Cook it properly, serve it proudly, and don’t forget the gravy.
Ingredients
- 8 Good quality pork sausages
- 140 g Plain flour
- 4 Eggs
- 220 ml Milk
- 1 tbsp Sunflower oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200℃
- First, make the batter. Add the flour into a large mixing bowl and make a 'well' in the middle. Add the eggs and whisk until well combined.
- Now add the milk bit by bit, whisking in between until you have a smooth batter that coats the back of a spoon.
- Pour the batter into a jug and place it into the fridge.
- Put the sausages into a suitable oven dish, add the sunflower oil and bake for 20-25 minutes until they are lightly browned. Turn the sausages half way through cooking.
- Take out the sausages from the oven, the fat should be sizzling hot so be careful. As soon as you take them out, pour the batter into the dish all around the sausages until they are half submerged.
- As soon as the batter is in there, get the sausages back into the oven onto the top shelf and close the oven door.
- Cook for 25-30 minutes, until it is well risen and golden. Do not open the oven door until you are confident it has cooked.
- Serve with gravy.
4 comments on “Toad in the Hole”
Lovely came out perfect followed exactly but added few more sausages family loved it 😍 working my through your recipes they have all been fab so far. Thank you.
O…M…G !!! So easy to make for all you “I can’t cook people” 😉 Try it , it’s delicious!!
My toad in the hole has always been a disaster so tried this recipe and it is the first time my toad in the hole has risen. One of our favourite meals.
Hadn’t even tried toad in the hole before this recipe but it inspired me to give it a go. So simple and tasted great! Easily became a favourite dish of mine.