Name: English Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls recipe
Ingredients: Good Quality Pork Sausage Meat: 1 lb (about 450g). This is the heart of the roll. Look for sausage meat with a decent fat content (around 20%) for flavour and moisture. Alternatively, buy good quality pork sausages (like Cumberland or Lincolnshire), remove the casings, and use the meat. Avoid overly lean options as they can become dry.; Small Onion: 1, very finely chopped (about ½ cup). Adds moisture and a subtle aromatic sweetness. Ensure it’s chopped extremely finely so it cooks through and integrates well.; Fresh Breadcrumbs: ½ cup (preferably from slightly stale white bread). Helps bind the mixture and retain moisture. Panko breadcrumbs can also be used for a slightly different texture.; Fresh Sage: 1 tablespoon, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried sage). A classic pairing with pork, providing that traditional savoury, slightly peppery flavour.; Fresh Thyme Leaves: 1 teaspoon, finely chopped (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme). Complements the sage and pork.; Salt: ½ teaspoon, or to taste (be mindful sausage meat can already be seasoned).; Black Pepper: ½ teaspoon, freshly ground. Essential for flavour depth.; Worcestershire Sauce: 1 teaspoon (optional, but adds umami depth).; English Mustard Powder: ½ teaspoon (optional, adds a subtle background heat).; Large Egg: 1, lightly beaten (for binding the filling). Reserve about half of this beaten egg for the egg wash later, or use a separate egg for the wash.; All-Butter Puff Pastry: 14 oz – 1 lb (about 400-500g). Using all-butter puff pastry yields the best flavour and flakiness. A good quality store-bought puff pastry (often found in the frozen section – thaw according to package directions) works beautifully and saves significant time. You’ll typically need one or two sheets depending on the brand/size.; Large Egg: 1, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk or water (for egg wash). This gives the sausage rolls their beautiful golden sheen. (You can use the reserved portion from the filling egg if preferred).; Plain Flour: For dusting the work surface.; Optional Seeds: Sesame seeds or poppy seeds for sprinkling on top before baking.

Ingredients

Good Quality Pork Sausage Meat: 1 lb (about 450g). This is the heart of the roll. Look for sausage meat with a decent fat content (around 20%) for flavour and moisture. Alternatively, buy good quality pork sausages (like Cumberland or Lincolnshire), remove the casings, and use the meat. Avoid overly lean options as they can become dry.

Small Onion: 1, very finely chopped (about ½ cup). Adds moisture and a subtle aromatic sweetness. Ensure it’s chopped extremely finely so it cooks through and integrates well.

Fresh Breadcrumbs: ½ cup (preferably from slightly stale white bread). Helps bind the mixture and retain moisture. Panko breadcrumbs can also be used for a slightly different texture.

Fresh Sage: 1 tablespoon, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried sage). A classic pairing with pork, providing that traditional savoury, slightly peppery flavour.

Fresh Thyme Leaves: 1 teaspoon, finely chopped (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme). Complements the sage and pork.

Salt: ½ teaspoon, or to taste (be mindful sausage meat can already be seasoned).

Black Pepper: ½ teaspoon, freshly ground. Essential for flavour depth.

Worcestershire Sauce: 1 teaspoon (optional, but adds umami depth).

English Mustard Powder: ½ teaspoon (optional, adds a subtle background heat).

Large Egg: 1, lightly beaten (for binding the filling). Reserve about half of this beaten egg for the egg wash later, or use a separate egg for the wash.

For the Pastry and Assembly:

All-Butter Puff Pastry: 14 oz – 1 lb (about 400-500g). Using all-butter puff pastry yields the best flavour and flakiness. A good quality store-bought puff pastry (often found in the frozen section – thaw according to package directions) works beautifully and saves significant time. You’ll typically need one or two sheets depending on the brand/size.

Large Egg: 1, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk or water (for egg wash). This gives the sausage rolls their beautiful golden sheen. (You can use the reserved portion from the filling egg if preferred).

Plain Flour: For dusting the work surface.

Optional Seeds: Sesame seeds or poppy seeds for sprinkling on top before baking.

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Prepare the Filling: In a large bowl, combine the pork sausage meat, very finely chopped onion, fresh breadcrumbs, chopped fresh sage, chopped fresh thyme, salt, black pepper, optional Worcestershire sauce, and optional mustard powder. Add about half of the lightly beaten egg (reserve the other half for the egg wash, or prepare a separate egg wash later). Using your hands (the best tool for this!), gently mix all the ingredients together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make the filling tough. The mixture should be homogenous but not compacted.

Prepare the Work Surface and Pastry: Lightly flour your clean work surface. Unroll your sheet of thawed puff pastry. If it’s a block, roll it out gently into a large rectangle, approximately ⅛ inch (3-4mm) thick. If using pre-rolled sheets, you may just need to trim them slightly or use them as they are. Aim for rectangles roughly 12 inches long by 5 inches wide (30cm x 12cm), but dimensions can vary. Work relatively quickly to keep the pastry cool.

Shape the Filling: Divide the sausage meat mixture into portions corresponding to the number of pastry rectangles you have (usually two long logs for standard pastry sheets). On the floured surface, gently roll each portion of the filling into a long, even sausage shape (log), roughly the length of your pastry rectangle. The diameter should be about 1-1.5 inches (2.5-4cm).

Assemble the Rolls: Place one log of the sausage filling along one of the long edges of a pastry rectangle, leaving about a ½ inch (1cm) border.

Apply Egg Wash for Sealing: Lightly brush the opposite long edge of the pastry rectangle with some of the prepared egg wash (egg mixed with milk/water). This acts as glue.

Roll Up: Carefully but snugly, roll the pastry over the sausage filling, starting from the filling side and rolling towards the egg-washed edge. Ensure the pastry encases the filling completely. Press the seam gently to seal it firmly where the egg-washed edge meets the pastry roll.

Position and Trim: Gently roll the entire log over so the seam is underneath. This helps prevent it from bursting open during baking. Trim any uneven ends if necessary. Repeat this process with the remaining pastry and filling.

Chill (Optional but Recommended): For easier cutting and potentially flakier pastry, carefully place the long sausage rolls (seam-side down) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and chill in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes. This helps the pastry firm up.

Preheat Oven: While the rolls are chilling (or while you finish assembly), preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C / Gas Mark 6). Line one or two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut into Rolls: Remove the chilled logs from the refrigerator. Using a sharp knife, cut each long log into individual sausage rolls. You can make standard sized rolls (about 2-3 inches / 5-7.5cm long) or mini cocktail-sized rolls (about 1-1.5 inches / 2.5-4cm long). Wipe the knife clean between cuts if needed.

Arrange on Baking Sheets: Carefully place the cut sausage rolls onto the prepared baking sheets, ensuring the seam remains underneath. Leave a little space between each roll to allow for puffing and even baking.

Score and Egg Wash: Using the tip of your sharp knife, lightly score the tops of the sausage rolls 2-3 times diagonally (this is traditional and helps steam escape). Be careful not to cut too deeply. Brush the tops and sides of each sausage roll generously and evenly with the prepared egg wash. This is crucial for achieving that deep golden-brown colour.

Add Seeds (Optional): If desired, sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds or poppy seeds immediately after applying the egg wash.

Bake: Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes for standard size rolls, or 15-20 minutes for mini rolls. The exact time will depend on your oven and the size of the rolls. They are ready when the pastry is beautifully puffed up, deep golden brown, and crisp, and the sausage filling is cooked through (internal temperature should reach 165°F / 74°C if using a meat thermometer). If they brown too quickly, you can loosely tent them with foil for the last part of baking.

Cool: Once baked, remove the baking sheets from the oven. Let the sausage rolls cool on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes before transferring them carefully using a spatula to a wire rack to cool further. They are delicious served warm

Nutrition

Serving Size: one normal portion
Calories: 120-180