This is a three part series. If you'd like to see the other parts, click here for Part 1: The Easy Method and Part 2: Veggie Sausage Rolls. If you're interested in my puff pastry recipe, be sure to check out this post.
Homemade Sausage Rolls
Yield: approx. 12 large sausage rolls
Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
2 sheets of puff pastry
1 lb or 450 g of ground breakfast or pork sausage*
1 tbsp ground sage
salt to taste
2 eggs
flour for dusting
Tools:
bowl
fork
mixing bowl
rolling pin
ruler
knife
pastry brush
silicone baking mat or parchment paper
cookie tray
oven
Method:
1. Allow puff pastry to thaw for 20 minutes until cold but workable.
2. Preheat your oven to 350°F or 200°C.
3. Crack an egg into the bowl, add 1 tsp of the sage and sit the rest aside. Use the fork to whisk the egg until it becomes liquid in texture. Sit the bowl aside.
4. In a mixing bowl, crack the other egg. Add the sausage, a pinch or two of salt, and remaining sage. Mix these together until the mixture holds its own and the egg is distributed consistently throughout.
5. Dust your surface and lay out the first sheet of puff pastry. Roll out until it measures approximately 1/8" or 2mm thick.
6. Using your knife, cut the pastry into 6 rectangles of similar size.
7. Take a rectangular piece of puff pastry and, after dipping your pastry brush in the egg wash, brush three of the four sides of the rectangle. This will serve as the sausage roll's seal.
8. Place a handful of the 'sausage' mixture on the unwashed edge of the pastry, forming a log shape, and roll the pastry over the mixture so that the unwashed seam ends up on the bottom of the roll.
9. Pinch the sides together with your thumbs or the fork. Score the top of the sausage roll with you knife. Place the sausage roll on the cookie sheet.
10. Repeat steps 6-8 until you have enough sausage rolls to fill your cookie sheet. Be sure that each roll has at least an inch or or 4 mm of space on each side. These babies will expand in the oven!
11. Using the egg wash, gently brush each sausage roll on the top and sides.
12. Bake the sausage rolls for 15-20 minutes or until a puffy golden brown.
13. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for the second sheet of puff pastry.
14. Then repeat steps 7-11 for each sausage roll and bake the rest of them, as described in step 12.
15. If you have leftover pastry, it can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for another 24 hours and put to good use as leftover pastry tarts.
The secret to the success of these rolls is the inclusion of a lot of sage, which gives the taste of authenticity to these scrummy treats. You can customize them further by adding even more spices (like curry powder, for instance)! I sincerely hope you enjoy my take on the quintessentially British sausage roll, and be sure to check out the other recipes in this series. Do you have a favorite go-to recipe for something you can't buy near where you live? If so, please share it below!
