Toad in the hole is one of those classic British dishes that we can’t help but feel the whole world would love, if only it were easy to get it to rise.
But getting the world to love British food isn’t your problem. That’s ours.
So the question is this: why does my toad in the hole not rise?
And this is the answer:
Your toad in the hole probably doesn’t rise because either your Yorkshire Pudding batter recipe is at fault, i.e. the batter is too thick or too thin, or, you’ve not used enough fat and heated it up enough before adding the batter to your dish. This might also cause your toad in the hole to stick to your oven dish.
But not to fret. This is the place to solve all your British food related quandaries. Including, by the way, where to eat out in Britain when your toad in the hole doesn’t rise 😉
But before it gets to that, let’s solve the problem at hand.
Getting Toad In The Hole To Rise
Toad in the hole batter is essentially the same as Yorkshire pudding batter, except you’re cooking it amongst sausages. For some reason, this seems to make getting it to rise more of a struggle for many people, but at least we get a rise out of it.
Joking aside, here’s some top tips on how to get your toad in the hole to rise:
Learn How To Make Good Yorkshire Pudding
Making sure your Yorkshire pudding batter is similar to the consistency of double cream is a good starting point for a top-notch toad in the hole. Your toad in the hole will usually not rise, be soggy in the middle, or stodgy due to a dodgy Yorkshire pudding recipe (or sorry to say, poor execution).
Use Enough Fat
Whether you use oil or dripping, not using enough fat in the bottom of your oven dish when making toad in the hole will prevent you from getting the perfect rise. You clearly don’t want to overdo it and have a greasy toad in the hole (nothing worse!), but instead use just the right amount of fat.
Get Your Fat Nice And Hot
If you’re constantly asking why your toad in the hole doesn’t rise, but why it also sticks to the dish, this is probably because you’ve not got your fat hot enough before adding your batter. We’ve heard that baking paper can be used to help make toad in the hole, but there’s really no need. Getting your fat hot enough is just how you make toad in the hole not stick.
Use A Metal Dish
You can make toad in the hole in a glass dish or a ceramic dish reasonably well, but Nigella tells us that using a metal dish will cook better if in a metal dish, because it heats up more easily and therefore allows for a better rise.
Don’t Open The Oven Door Too Early
It’s surely just common knowledge by now that you shouldn’t open the oven door when making Yorkshire pudding or toad in the hole. Not until it’s perfectly cooked. Helpful, we know.
Just Eat Out In Britain Instead
Cooking toad in the hole at home is a great idea and all, but there’s surely no point if it’s not going to rise and stick to the dish. If you can’t make the perfect toad in the hole, an alternative is of course eating out
Use A Decent Toad In The Hole Recipe (Obviously)
Naturally, following a great toad in the hole recipe will help yours to rise.
Toad In The Hole Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 sausages, pricked with a fork
- 225g of plain flour
- 3 eggs
- 275ml of milk
- 25g of duck fat
- 1 pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1 pinch of sugar
- 1 pinch of black pepper
- 1 pinch of salt
Method
- Make the batter well in advance. Sieve the flour, salt, pepper, sugar and grated nutmeg into a bowl.
2. Make a well in the centre and break in the three eggs.
3. Use a hand held whisk to slowly incorporate the eggs and then – while continuing to whisk – slowly add in the milk until the batter has the consistency of double cream. Whisk thoroughly to ensure there are no lumps of flour in the mixture. Place in the fridge for a least 1 hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.
5. Place a roasting tin in the oven until scorching hot.
6. Add the duck fat and the sausages to the hot tin and return to the oven. Shake at regular intervals until the sausages are coloured all over and the fat is hot.
7. Remove the batter from the fridge and give it a quick whisk. Once the sausages are evenly coloured, remove the tray from the oven and immediately pour the batter over the hot sausages – the batter should start to sizzle.
8. Return to the oven immediately and cook for 30–40 minutes, or until the batter is well risen and golden.
9. Serve immediately with your chosen accompaniments.
Source: Great British Chefs
So that’s how you make your toad in the hole rise (and not stick to the dish).
You’re very welcome. We’re here for all your British food dilemmas. And in case we didn’t mention, that includes showing you the best places to eat out in the UK!
