1. Mix the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the warm water and olive oil and bring together into a dough. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and springy. Cover and leave somewhere warm to prove for 45 minutes, until doubled in size.

2. While the dough proves, make your filling. Mix the Porky Whites sausagemeat with the caramelised onion, wholegrain mustard, thyme and smoked paprika. Season well with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Once proved, knock back the dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle roughly 30cm x 40cm.

4. Spread the sausagemeat filling down the centre third of the dough, leaving a 2cm border at each end.

5. Cut diagonal strips (about 2cm wide) down each side of the filling. Fold the end flaps up over the filling, then alternate the strips over the top, crossing them to create a classic plait effect.

6. Carefully transfer the plait onto a large piece of foil (shiny side up) and brush generously with beaten egg. Scatter over sea salt and thyme sprigs.

7. Get your BBQ going with the lid on, aiming for an indirect medium heat (around 180°C). Place the plait (still on the foil) onto the cool side of the grill, close the lid and cook for 30–35 minutes until deeply golden and cooked through.

8. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing at the table. Watch it disappear.

What if the Great British weather has other ideas?

We live in Britain so being prepared for an unexpected downpour is a must! This recipe works great in a conventional oven – pre-heat to 190°C (fan) – you’ll just miss a bit of the smoky magic.

Why Sausagemeat Works in a Bake

Sausagemeat does something in a baked filling that plain mince can't quite match. The fat keeps everything moist as the dough cooks around it - no dry, crumbly centre - and because it's already seasoned, the mustard, thyme and paprika are building on something with real depth rather than starting from scratch. It also holds together without binding agents, which matters when you're slicing through a plait and want clean, defined layers rather than everything falling apart. Good sausagemeat is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here.