Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls

Before you start

Sausage rolls are seasoned sausage meat wrapped in a tube of puff pastry, sliced into short lengths and baked until the pastry is deep golden. They are a British bakery and party favorite, and they are easy to make at home with good all-butter puff pastry. Adding fresh breadcrumbs and a little grated onion to the meat keeps the filling juicy and stops it from shrinking away from the pastry.

Two things make them work well. Chill the filled logs before cutting and baking, so the pastry holds its shape and the slices stay round. And check doneness by temperature: ground pork should reach 71°C (160°F) in the center. A dark golden crust with juices bubbling from the ends is a good sign, but a thermometer removes the guesswork.

Ingredients

• Filling500 g (1.1 lb) pork sausage meat — or bulk sausage, casings removed
• 1 small onion — finely grated
• 40 g (¾ cup) fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• ½ tsp black pepper
• Pastry500 g (1.1 lb) all-butter puff pastry — chilled
• 1 large egg beaten with a pinch of salt — for egg wash
• 1 tsp fennel or sesame seeds — optional

Method

1. Mix the sausage meat, grated onion, breadcrumbs, sage, mustard, parsley and pepper in a bowl with your hands until evenly combined. Fry a small piece to check the seasoning, then adjust.
2. Roll the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 30 × 40 cm (12 × 16 in) rectangle. Cut it lengthwise into two strips, each 15 × 40 cm (6 × 16 in).
3. Divide the filling in half. Shape each half into a 40 cm (16 in) log along the center of a pastry strip. Brush one long edge of the pastry with egg wash.
4. Fold the pastry over the filling and press the edges together. Turn each roll seam-side down and crimp the edge with a fork. Refrigerate the logs for 20 minutes.
5. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
6. Brush the chilled logs with egg wash and sprinkle with seeds. Cut each into six pieces, about 6.5 cm (2½ in) long, and cut two small slashes on top of each. Arrange them 3 cm apart on the sheet.
7. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until puffed and deep golden. The filling should register 71°C (160°F) in the center of the thickest roll.
8. Cool on the sheet for 10 minutes before serving warm, or cool completely for picnics.

Tips for success

• Grating the onion releases moisture into the meat without leaving crunchy pieces.
• Use a sharp knife and cut with a single firm stroke. Sawing squashes the layers and the pastry rises unevenly.
• Bake on the upper-middle rack. If the bottoms brown too slowly, move the sheet lower for the last 5 minutes.

Substitutions

Pork sausage meat

Use ground chicken or turkey with 1 tsp salt, extra sage and 2 tbsp olive oil; cook to 74°C (165°F) for poultry. The rolls are leaner and slightly drier.

Fresh breadcrumbs

Panko works; soak it in 2 tbsp milk first so it adds moisture rather than absorbing juices.

Puff pastry

Rough puff pastry gives a slightly flatter, crunchier roll that tastes very buttery.

Variations

Apple and sage rolls

Add 1 small apple, peeled and finely grated and squeezed dry, to the filling.

Spicy sausage rolls

Use hot Italian sausage and add ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes and ½ tsp smoked paprika.

Troubleshooting

Pastry opened at the seam

The seam was not sealed or faced upward. Brush with egg wash, press firmly and bake seam-side down.

Filling shrank and left a gap

Too little binder or overbaking. Include the breadcrumbs and onion, and take the rolls out once they reach temperature.

Pastry is pale and soggy underneath

The oven was too cool or the pastry warmed up before baking. Chill the logs, heat the oven fully and bake on a light-colored sheet.

Storage

Refrigerate leftover rolls within 2 hours and eat within 3 days; reheat at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes to 74°C (165°F). Freeze unbaked cut rolls on a tray, bag them and bake from frozen for 35 to 40 minutes, checking the internal temperature.

Safety notes

Cook pork filling to 71°C (160°F); poultry fillings need 74°C (165°F). Wash hands after handling raw meat. Contains wheat, egg and milk; check sausage labels for other allergens.