English Toad in the Hole
A classic English sausage bake with golden Yorkshire pudding batter and simple onion gravy.
Jump to recipe ↓
50 mintotal
Prep 15 min · Cook 35 min
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- None
Ingredients
Quantities are for 2 servings.
You'll need: Oven, Stovetop.
No extra inactive time — the batter rests while the sausages take their first turn in the oven, which is long enough for it to settle before it meets the hot fat.
Method
Heat the oven to 220°C. Add the measured oil to a small baking dish and place it in the oven to get very hot.
Whisk the flour, eggs, milk, half the salt, and pepper into a smooth batter. Rest it while the sausages start baking.
Carefully add the sausages to the hot dish and bake until lightly browned and sizzling.
Pour the batter around the sausages without removing the dish from the oven for too long.
Bake until the batter is puffed, golden, and crisp at the edges. Do not open the oven early.
For the gravy, melt the butter in a pan and cook the sliced onion until soft and browned.
Stir in the measured flour, cook briefly, then slowly add the beef stock and simmer until glossy and spoon-coating.
Serve the hot toad in the hole with onion gravy poured at the table.
How to tell it's done
The batter should be puffed and crisp outside, soft inside, with browned sausages set into the pudding.
Getting it right
Tip
The baking dish and oil must be very hot before the batter goes in; this is what makes the pudding rise.
What to serve it with
Serve with onion gravy, peas, and roasted or steamed vegetables.
Substitutions
- Use Chicken Sausage only as a practical adaptation; the traditional flavour will be lighter.
- Use Vegetable Stock instead of Beef Stock for a milder onion gravy, but the recipe remains non-vegetarian because of the sausages.
- Do not use a cold baking dish; the batter needs hot fat to rise properly.
More British Irish recipes to cook
Cornish Beef Pasty
A Cornish-style beef pasty with diced beef, potato, swede, and onion sealed inside shortcrust pastry.
English Bread and Butter Pudding
A classic English bread and butter pudding with buttered bread, raisins, nutmeg, and baked egg custard.
English Cottage Pie
A comforting English cottage pie with savoury beef mince, vegetables, gravy, and a golden mashed potato topping.
English Sticky Toffee Pudding
A warm English sticky toffee pudding with soft date sponge and glossy buttery toffee sauce.
English Victoria Sponge Cake
A classic English Victoria sponge filled with fruit jam and whipped cream, finished with powdered sugar.
Lancashire Hotpot
A northern English Lancashire hotpot with tender lamb, onion, carrot, stock, and crisp sliced potato topping.