Sausage Rolls are classic British fare, that are as versatile as they are easy to make. They can be served hot or cold, in a canapé size as an appetizer or in as a larger roll for lunch, a snack or an entrée.
In addition, the unbaked sausage rolls can be frozen for later use. Also, the cooked sausage rolls can be refrigerated, and reheated at a later time.
The key to a good sausage roll is good sausage. British sausage tends to be different from American sausage in several ways. First, British sausage often has a breadcrumb (a.k.a rusk) filler while its American counterpart doesn’t. Also, British sausage tends to have a finer grind and consistency than American sausage. Both the Master Taste Tester and I personally prefer British sausage to American sausage. Over time, we’ve experimented with trying to replicate British sausage, and think that we finally have a winner that’s super easy to make!
Ingredients for Sausage Rolls
I used the following ingredients for the Sausage Rolls: Puff pastry sheets, ground pork, hot bulk American sausage, breadcrumbs, Kosher salt, fresh sage, water, and egg (for the egg wash).
Making the Sausage
To make the Sausage Rolls, I added the ground pork, bulk American sausage, breadcrumbs, salt, fresh chopped sage, and water to the bowl of my food processor fitted with a steel blade. I didn’t add any pepper because the bulk sausage that I used had plenty to flavor the entire batch. Had I used a regular sausage, I would have added pepper along with the other ingredients.
I processed the sausage mixture for about 20 seconds. Then I took a small piece, microwaved it for about 20 seconds and tasted it to see if additional seasonings were needed. The Master Taste Tester said that it was perfect! Next, I continued processing the mixture for another 30 seconds, until it reached the proper consistency. See how finely ground it is – almost like a pâté, which is how we like it. That’s it – British sausage with the food processor doing all the work!
UPDATE ON MAKING THE SAUSAGE (MAY 18, 2019)
Since I posted this, I’ve changed the way that I make the sausage. I omit the packaged sausage and instead just use ground pork. To do this I add the following in my food processor, fitted with a steel blade: 1 pound of ground pork, 1/2 cup of dry breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of dry sage, 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, dash of nutmeg, dash of mace and 1/3 cup of water. Then, I process the mixture for 30 seconds. Next, I take a small amount and cook it in the microwave. This takes about 30 seconds. After the sausage cools a bit, I taste it to see whether the seasonings need correcting. Generally, it’s perfect for my taste. Finally, I process the sausage for an additional 15 seconds. This makes incredible sausage rolls!
Making the Sausage Rolls
With the sausage made, I turned my attention to making the sausage rolls. I rolled out a thawed puff pastry sheet on a piece of floured wax paper to approximately 14 x 9-inches. Next, I cut the puff pastry in half, length-wise.
I placed a roll of sausage down the center of each piece of puff pastry. Then, I brought the sides of the puff pastry together to enclose the sausage. I pinched the puff pastry together to ensure that it was completely sealed.
Because I was making the sausage rolls for dinner, I cut each log into four pieces. Then, to allow the steam to escape during baking, I cut 2 slits in each roll.
I placed the sausage rolls on a rimmed baking sheet lined with non-stick aluminum foil. Finally, I brushed each one with egg wash, made by combining an egg with 1 tablespoon of water.
I baked the sausage rolls in a preheated 425° F oven for 25 minutes. The puff pastry rose nicely and was a golden brown, and the sausage was fully cooked. I let the sausage rolls cool for about 10 minutes before serving them.
I served the Easy Peasy British Sausage Rolls with steamed fresh Brussel sprouts and Anytime Potatoes and Onions. They were absolutely delicious. Yum!
If you’re looking for some more authentic British fare, try my Savory British Beef Olives, Sheppard’s Pie, or Cornish Style Pasties.
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Easy Peasy British Sausage Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
- 1 pound (16 ounces, 454 grams) ground pork
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces, 227 grams) hot bulk sausage (See Tips 1 and 2)
- 1/2 cup (2.65 ounces, 75 grams) dry breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup (2.65 ounces, 75 grams) water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (0.35 ounces, 10 grams) Kosher salt
- 2 Tablespoons (0.25 ounces, 7 grams) fresh sage, chopped
Instructions
Sausage (See Tip 2)
- Add ground pork, bulk sausage, breadcrumbs, water, salt, and sage to bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Process 20 seconds. Cook small amount in microwave for 20 seconds; taste for seasonings. Correct seasonings if necessary. Process for additional 30 seconds, or until desired consistency is reached. Cover and refrigerate. Yield: About 28 ounces sausage.
Sausage Rolls
- Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Roll puff pastry sheet to approximately 14 x 9-inches on a lightly floured surface. Cut in half lengthwise. Place a roll of 8 ounces of sausage down the center. Bring sides together, and pinch to seal. Make sure that roll is thoroughly sealed.
- Cut each roll to desired size (I cut each roll into four pieces). Cut 2 to 3 diagonal slits in each piece. Place on rimmed baking sheet lined with non-stick aluminum foil.
- Brush with egg wash. Bake at 425° F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and sausage is completely cooked. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 4 servings.
Chula's Expert Tips
- If using regular sausage, add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- Rather than using prepared sausage, you can just use ground pork. If you want to go this route, add the following to your food processor fitted with a steel blade: 1 pound of ground pork, 1/2 cup of dry breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of dry sage, 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, dash of nutmeg, dash of mace, 1/3 cup of water. Process for 30 seconds. Cook a small amount in the microwave and correct the seasonings. Process for an additional 15 seconds. This makes incredible sausage rolls.
Can you let the sausage mixture sit overnight in the fridge?
Absolutely! Generally, I make a batch of the sausage mixture, cover it with plastic wrap, and put it in the refrigerator until I’m ready to use it.
You have no idea how much I miss British sausage rolls. This recipe was spot on and delicious. The instructions were easy. I will be trying other Pudgefactor recipes. Thank you.
I’m so glad that you liked the sausage rolls. They are one of my favorites!
A real British sausage rolls recipe – thank you! I tried it without the hot sausage, added pepper; should have added more salt too. I went a bit too heavy on the meat, which wasn’t lean. Flattening the rolls cooked them through easier, they still puffed fine and the more balanced meat/pastry ratio tasted better. My aunt used to use milk “glaze” to restore flakiness on rolls out of the tin. Will be cooking these again!
What a good idea to use milk as the glaze! I use milk for cheese and onion pie. I’ll have to try it on the sausage rolls. So glad that you liked them!
Thank you so very much for sharing this recipe. I made these for our family’s lunch today and they all LOVED them. My husband is British and I’m always looking for recipes to create some of his favorites that can’t be bought here. I am so thankful to have found this on Pinterest. My husband and kids all said they tasted just like they came from a British bakery. That’s some pretty high praise.
Wow – Thanks for letting me know. My husband is British as well and loves these sausage rolls!
good morning
may i know what hot bulk sausage is please ?
Renato, bulk sausage is a prepared breakfast type sausage sold in the US. Since I posted the sausage rolls, I’ve started making my own sausage from just ground pork. To do this, I process the following in my food processor: 1 pound of ground pork, 1/2 cup of dry breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of dry sage, 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, dash of nutmeg, dash of mace, 1/3 cup of water. Process for 30 seconds. Cook a small amount in the microwave and correct the seasonings. Process for an additional 15 seconds. This makes incredible sausage rolls. I keep thinking that I need to update the post with this! Chula
I made these shortly after returning from Scotland and craving the sausage rolls we’d pick up in the pastry shops. These turned out great and have been a big hit with the family. I tried the bulk sausage mix the first go round, and the only thing I’d like to improve is the texture/consistency. The rolls we had in Scotland had sausage that was much softer, almost mushy. Any tips for achieving a softer sausage?
Adrienne, I totally get your craving for sausage rolls! Personally, I like the finer, “mushy” texture of the British sausage more than the granular texture of US sausages. I would suggest trying the other approach where I use 100% ground pork rather than the 50-50 blend. If I can’t find ground pork, I make my own by adding 1 to 2 inch pieces of pork butt that I’ve cut up to my food processor fitted with a steel blade and process away. In about a minute, I have ground pork that I add the rest of ingredients to. Once I have all of the ingredients in the food processor, I find that the longer I process the mixture, the finer it becomes. I generally process for around 1 minute. Chula
I’m a little confused…your original recipe calls for 1 1/2 lbs. sausage, and your “new revised” calls for only 1 lb, yet uses the same amount of the rest of the ingredients. Is 1 1/2 lbs too much meat for the rolls or does it matter? We had sausage rolls in England and loved them, so thought I’d give your recipe a try, but didn’t want to use too much meat if you found the 1 lb. was better. Thank you!
Ruth, after a lot of experimentation we actually prefer the revised recipe that uses 1 pound of ground pork. The ratio of the breadcrumbs to the meat in the revised recipe produces the very fine texture that we love about English sausage! I thought about replacing the original recipe with the revised recipe – maybe I should have done that!
Chula
Does it matter , homemade breadcrumbs or packet
Dale, I always use store-bought dry breadcrumbs.
Chula
Can these be made ahead of time and frozen? Then baked to order from frozen?
Cindy,
Yes, they can definitely be made ahead of time and frozen. In fact, that’s what I often do. I add about 10 minutes to the cooking time if they go into the oven frozen.
Chula