British & Irish Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Toad in the Hole
Plump pork sausages nestled in a puffy, golden Yorkshire pudding batter — crispy on the edges, custardy within, and deeply satisfying.
Contains common allergens
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Good to know
- Crispy
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes
Instructions
6 steps- 1
Make the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, eggs, milk, salt, and thyme until a smooth, thin batter is formed. Let the batter rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- 2
Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 220°C (430°F) to ensure it is roaring hot.
- 3
Brown the sausages: Place the sausages and vegetable oil into a large, deep roasting tin. Roast in the hot oven for 15 minutes until the sausages are lightly browned and the oil is smoking hot.
- 4
Add the batter: Working very quickly, remove the roasting tin from the oven. Carefully pour the rested batter around the sizzling sausages (it should bubble immediately).
- 5
Bake the toad: Immediately return the tin to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Do not open the oven door during cooking, or the batter will deflate.
- 6
Serve: The batter should be puffed up, crisp, and deep golden brown. Serve immediately with rich onion gravy and green vegetables.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
68/100
Works for many families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving1005
Calories
33 g
Protein
116 g
Carbs
44 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Toad in the hole appeared in 18th-century British cookbooks as a way to stretch a small amount of meat — originally any leftover roast, not just sausages — by baking it in a Yorkshire pudding batter that puffed dramatically around the meat. The name is thought to come from the way sausages peek out from the risen batter like toads emerging from holes in a riverbank. By the 19th century it had become firmly associated with pork sausages and established itself as one of the most beloved midweek dinners in British home cooking.
Listahan note
This version rests the batter for at least an hour and heats the roasting tin in screaming-hot fat before the pour, which is the difference between a flat, dense result and a dramatic, sky-high rise.
Technique cues
- Rest the batter for a minimum of 30 minutes — ideally an hour — at room temperature to allow the gluten to relax and the flour to fully hydrate, producing a lighter, airier pudding.
- The fat in the tin must be visibly smoking before you pour in the batter; any cooler and the batter will absorb the fat and sink rather than sizzle and rise.
- Do not open the oven during the first 20 minutes of baking — the steam inside is responsible for the dramatic rise, and cold air rushing in will cause the batter to collapse.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Mix the batter first and let it rest while you brown the sausages, so both are ready at the same moment.
- Make-ahead
- Batter can be made up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated; bring to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before baking.
- Leftover move
- Leftover toad reheats in a 375 degree F oven for 10 minutes and is good cold in a lunchbox alongside a jar of onion gravy for dipping.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Let the roasting tin cool before washing — sudden cold water on a very hot tin can warp it; soak if needed.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
pork sausages
the sausages at the heart of the dish
Purpose: Coarse, well-seasoned sausages provide the savory anchor that the bland batter wraps around and absorbs flavor from.
Handling: Brown the sausages in the same tin you will bake in before removing and reserving; the rendered fat stays in the tin for the pour.
Adaptation: Herbed chicken sausages or vegetarian sausages both work well as long as they are browned first.
plain flour
batter structure
Purpose: Plain flour provides the gluten network that traps steam and allows the dramatic rise of the Yorkshire pudding batter.
Handling: Weigh rather than measure by volume for consistency; sift into the bowl to remove any lumps before whisking.
Adaptation: A gluten-free plain flour blend can be substituted, though the rise will be slightly less pronounced.
eggs
batter set and richness
Purpose: Eggs provide the protein that sets the batter around the sausages and give the pudding its characteristic golden color.
Handling: Use room temperature eggs; cold eggs cool the batter and slow the rise.
Adaptation: No practical egg-free substitute produces the same result; this is an egg-dependent dish.
whole milk
batter liquid
Purpose: Full-fat milk gives the batter richness and the fat content contributes to the crisp exterior.
Handling: Mix with an equal part of cold water — the water creates extra steam for a higher rise than milk alone.
Adaptation: Oat milk produces a slightly thinner batter but bakes up well enough for a dairy-free household.
beef dripping or lard
high-heat fat for the tin
Purpose: Animal fat has a very high smoke point and imparts a savory depth to the base of the pudding that vegetable oils cannot replicate.
Handling: Add to the tin and place in a 425 degree F oven until visibly smoking before pouring in the batter.
Adaptation: Sunflower or vegetable oil works well; avoid olive oil which burns at the required temperature.
Technique notes
- Batter made with half milk and half water rises higher than all-milk batter because the extra water turns to steam more readily in the hot oven.
- Use a metal roasting tin rather than ceramic or glass — metal heats faster and maintains temperature better when the cold batter is poured in, which is critical for the rise.
- The sausages should be placed in a single layer with space between them so the batter can rise between and around each one rather than steaming in a cluster.
Ingredient swaps
- Gluten-free direction
- Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend; the pudding will be slightly denser but still rises and tastes very similar.
- Dairy-free direction
- Replace milk with unsweetened oat milk; the batter may be slightly thinner so reduce by 2 tablespoons to compensate.
- Weeknight shortcut
- Use pre-made good-quality chipolata sausages that need no browning; simply arrange, heat the fat, pour, and bake.
Serve alongside
- Onion gravy
- Steamed broccoli
- Braised red cabbage
- Brown ale
- Sparkling apple juice
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Baked toad in the hole keeps refrigerated for up to 2 days; reheat in a 375 degree F oven for 10-12 minutes to restore some crispness.
- The batter will deflate on standing but still tastes good; do not attempt to re-crisp in a microwave.
Equipment
- Heavy metal roasting tin (not ceramic) for maximum heat retention
- Oven thermometer to ensure correct temperature before baking
- Large measuring jug for pouring batter quickly and evenly
- Tongs for browning sausages and arranging in the tin
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