Sausage Rolls
The British party staple: seasoned sausage meat wrapped in puff pastry, brushed with egg wash, baked until the pastry is shatteringly crisp and the filling is hot. Best served warm. Make a batch the day before and reheat; perfect for a buffet or a lunchbox.
Overview
Sausagemeat (or sausage casings squeezed) mixes with herbs, mustard and breadcrumbs for a lighter texture. The mixture pipes onto strips of puff pastry, the pastry rolls over and seals, and the long rolls cut into bite-sized pieces. Egg wash, sesame seeds, bake.
Ingredients
Filling
- 600 g good-quality sausagemeat (or 800 g sausages, casings removed and squeezed out)
- 1 onion (small, very finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage (or thyme, finely chopped) or 1 teaspoon dried
- 50 g fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Pastry
- 2 sheets all-butter puff pastry (about 320 g each), chilled
- 1 egg (large, beaten, for egg wash)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (or poppy seeds, optional)
Method
Stage 1 - Prep the filling
- Cook the chopped onion in a small splash of oil for 5 minutes until soft. Cool.
- In a bowl, mix the sausagemeat, cooled onion, mustard, herbs, breadcrumbs, pepper and salt thoroughly.
- Divide into 4 equal portions (one per pastry strip).
Stage 2 - Roll the pastry
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
- Unroll the puff pastry; cut each sheet in half lengthways (4 long strips total).
- Pipe or shape a long roll of sausagemeat down the centre of each strip (about 2 cm thick).
Stage 3 - Wrap and seal
- Brush one long edge of each pastry strip with beaten egg.
- Fold the unbrushed edge over the filling to meet the brushed edge; press to seal firmly.
- Place each long roll seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking tray.
Stage 4 - Cut and finish
- Score the top of each long roll diagonally every 4 cm (don't cut through; just shallow marks).
- Cut into 4 cm pieces with a sharp knife.
- Brush the tops with beaten egg; scatter sesame or poppy seeds.
Stage 5 - Bake
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is deep golden and crisp.
- Cool 5 minutes on the tray; serve warm.
Notes
- Don't overstuff: Too much filling and the pastry tears or unrolls in the oven. Aim for filling and pastry roughly equal in cross-section.
- All-butter pastry: The flavour difference vs. shortcut puff pastry is enormous. Worth it for the buffet.
- Make ahead: Shape, freeze on a tray, then bag. Bake from frozen, adding 5-8 minutes.
Storage
- Best warm from the oven. Keeps 2 days; reheat at 180°C for 8 minutes.
- Freezes raw or baked, 2 months.
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