A note from our recipe tester
“I always preheat my oven for at least 15-20 minutes before baking these sausage rolls (or any recipe with puff pastry in fact). Puff pastry relies heavily on even heat to rise and puff, so a well pre-heated oven is essential. I also space out the sausage rolls 2cm apart on the baking tray, as this lets the heat circulate between the pastries to allow for even browning. You can also make mini sausage rolls using this recipe, if you prefer.” - Michelle Southan, Food Director
What is sausage meat?
Sausage meat (the meat used in sausage rolls) is usually made from well-seasoned and spiced minced pork, beef, or veal. It has more flavour than regular mince thanks to the high-fat content and seasonings added, giving sausage rolls that moreish flavour. You can buy sausage mince from most butchers, but if it's unavailable, use thick beef sausages and remove the skins. Pork and veal mince also make great substitutes for sausage mince in this sausage rolls recipe. The result? Incredibly good sausage rolls.
Why do my homemade sausage rolls have soggy bottoms?
To prevent soggy sausage rolls, make sure your oven is preheated before cooking. Ensure to space out the sausage rolls on the baking tray when cooking to ensure there is enough room for the air to circulate and allow them to crisp up. Once cooked, transfer from the baking tray to a wire tray to cool. A key tip is to use cold baking trays as they will stop the puff pastry at the bottom of the unbaked sausage rolls from softening before they're cooked.
And, as we mentioned above the recipe, you can freeze unbaked sausage rolls to get ahead.
Do you put egg in a sausage rolls mix?
Egg is added to the sausage rolls mix as a binding agent, helping to keep the filling moist and holding it all together. If you are looking for an egg-free sausage roll recipe, this five-star rated sausage roll recipe does not contain eggs but instead uses sauces and sausage mince to ensure moisture. You can also use an egg wash to make the puff pastry more golden brown (as we do in this recipe). And, you can sprinkle sesame seeds over the top of your unbaked sausage rolls for extra texture. Serve sausage rolls with a generous dollop of tomato sauce.
Are sausage rolls junk food?
Sausage rolls aren't particularly healthy as they are quite high in fat, sodium, and calories due to the fatty meat filling or sausage mixture and pastry. However, you can make your sausage rolls healthier by using a lean mince such as chicken beef, packing them with some grated veggies, or eliminating the meat altogether. Check out these healthier sausage roll recipes:
For smaller bites, you can roll your mixture into mini sausage rolls too.
Why do you put breadcrumbs in sausage rolls?
Breadcrumbs soak up all the juices that escape from the meat to lock in the flavour and moisture. They create a softer texture to the mixture and prevent the mix from becoming dry or dense.
More sausage roll recipes:
FAQs
Cooking instructions
Take half the sausagemeat mixture and form it into a long sausage shape down the centre of one pastry strip, leaving a clear border either side. Repeat with the remaining sausagemeat and pastry. Beat together the egg and Marmite in a small bowl then lightly brush over the pastry borders to glaze.
How to get crispy bottom on sausage rolls? ›
Why do my homemade sausage rolls have soggy bottoms? To prevent soggy sausage rolls, make sure your oven is preheated before cooking. Ensure to space out the sausage rolls on the baking tray when cooking to ensure there is enough room for the air to circulate and allow them to crisp up.
How to stop sausage rolls from being dry? ›
Why add cream to sausage rolls? I asked our foodie experts about Curtis' bakery trick and they confirmed that cream softens the breadcrumbs and stops the meat mixture from drying out, as the breadcrumbs won't suck up moisture from the meat and other ingredients.
Do you glaze uncooked sausage rolls before freezing? ›
sausage rolls are great frozen when unbaked. (glaze them first for ease of cooking later) Cook straight from frozen allow extra 5-10mins.
What country is famous for sausage rolls? ›
Although variations are known throughout Europe and in other regions, the sausage roll is most closely associated with British cuisine.
Why do my sausage rolls split when cooking? ›
A common reason for them splitting open is not enough cereal in the sausage mix. It's common to use breadcrumbs or even stale bread soaked in water. If the filling is mostly meat it will shrink when baked and release a lot of fat. Both of these can cause splitting.
Why do my sausage rolls burn on the bottom? ›
Radiant heat transfer from the lower burner transfers a lot of energy directly into the bottom of the baking sheet. That raises the temperature of the baking sheet and results in non-uniform cooking of your pastry item. That is why the bottom of your pastries are burning.
Why are my homemade sausage rolls oily? ›
After testing the recipe a few times, I've noticed that using plain sausage meat in the recipe yields really oily/soggy Sausage Rolls… which doesn't let the puff pastry rise enough. By adding a bit of ground chicken, it absorbs some of the fat and makes the filling a bit lighter, but still super flavourful.
What if my sausage roll filling is too wet? ›
The meat mixture will be quite wet and sticky I found, if you don't like it too wet just add some more breadcrumbs, or else like I did, line your bench with cling film and roll it out on that.
What is the best way to store homemade sausage rolls? ›
A cooked sausage roll will last in your fridge for up to three days. Be sure to pop it in the fridge once it's cooled down though, as a sausage roll shouldn't be left at room temperature for more than two hours. If you freeze your sausage roll, it will last for up to three months.
No. Buying sausage meat just makes it a little easier as you don't need to remove the skin from sausages. You can use any sausages you have if you prefer. Just strip the skins off them before using.
Why chill sausage rolls before cooking? ›
I understand that you want to store unbaked saussage rolls and bake them the next day. IMHO you should be fine as long as the filling isn't too wet. Chill the pastry and the filling well before assembling, this will firm up the fats and reduce seeping from filling to pastry dough. Same goes for puff pastry.
Can you refrigerate sausage rolls before baking? ›
You can also refrigerate prepared, but unbaked sausage rolls to bake later (within 8 hours, otherwise freeze).
How do you keep sausage rolls crispy after cooking? ›
Here is how to stop soggy bottom sausage rolls. To keep your puff pastry from getting soggy on the bottom, try this: After baking, quickly remove the cooked sausage rolls onto a tray lined with paper towels. After a few minutes, when any extra grease has been absorbed, remove the paper towels.
Can I cook frozen sausage rolls the day before a party? ›
Cut the sausage rolls into 5cm lengths and arrange on a lined baking tray. Chill for 20 mins. Can be made a day ahead or frozen for up to one month; to bake from frozen, add an extra 10 mins to the cooking time. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
What raising agent is used in sausage rolls? ›
Ingredient: Fortified WHEAT Flour (WHEAT Flour, Iron, Thiamin, Nicotinic Acid, Calcium Carbonate), Water, Pork Shoulder (25%), Vegetable Oil (Palm, Rapeseed), Pasteurised Whole EGG, Seasoning (Salt, Rusk (Raising Agent E503 and Wheat), Spice Extracts, Spices, Stabiliser (E451), Preservative (E223 (SULPHITES)), Dextrose ...
What is sausage roll meat made of? ›
Puff pastry - is sold frozen in 25cm x 25cm ready-rolled squares that can be found in the freezer section in supermarkets. Make sure the pastry is thawed completely before rolling, to avoid cracks. Sausage mince – sausage mince is usually made from ground pork or beef, with added fat, seasoning, herbs and spices.
