Sausage Rolls

These homemade sausage rolls are so easy to make yourself and such a classic. Savoury sausage filling in buttery flaky pastry, just dip them in your favourite sauce or relish!

Easy Homemade Sausage Rolls

Sausage rolls are perfect for nearly every occasion – snack, dinner, bring a plate, get to together – you name it, sausage rolls will fit the bill. If you’ve never tried to make your own sausage rolls from scratch before, you need to try this recipe! So much easier to make than you would think and they’ll rival store bought any day! 

If you live in New Zealand, Australia or the UK you’ll know all about the popularity of sausage rolls, they’re just a classic. They’re also pretty well known in most commonwealth countries but not too much from the rest of the world.

While trying to look this up I found that a sausage roll in America is called a ‘puff dog’. This isn’t exactly the same thing but it’s kind of similar. According to Wikipedia, they were invented in France at the beginning of the 19th Century.

If you want to try another classic, NZ Mince and Cheese Pies are a must!

The Best Sausage Roll Recipe

I’ve tested this recipe so many different time and come up with the perfect combination of ingredients. Here’s a few reasons why this recipe is the best!

• A mix of pork sausages and beef mince. Using just pork and beef mince leads to a similar texture of a meatball which isn’t ideal. Pork sausages are ground down more to give these sausage rolls more of a sausage like texture with the added beef mince for flavour.

• Grated onion and carrot. These ingredients give so much flavour and also moisture to the sausage rolls, grating them means you won’t know they’re in there.

• Real Butter Puff Pastry, this will truely make a huge difference! If you are using store bought puff pastry make sure to look at the ingredients list that butter is used and not oil or margarine. Butter provides so much more flavour to the pastry, better flakiness, and more puff.

Sausage Rolls Ingredients

1/2 Onion

1 Carrot

3 Pork Sausages – About 250g or 1/4lb. 

250g / 1/4lb Beef Mince / Ground Beef

2 Garlic Cloves

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce – Soy sauce can be substituted here.

2 Sheets Frozen Puff Pastry – You can make your own puff pastry or ruff puff pastry. If you are using frozen store bought make sure it’s made from butter rather than oil or margarine.

Egg Wash – (optional) 1 Egg + 1 Tbsp Water

How to Make Sausage Rolls

Sausage Filling

Remove your meat from the fridge and let it come up to room temperature before you start the recipe, about 30 minutes.

Peel the onion, leaving the root in tact, this will help it keep together, and cut the ends of the carrot. You don’t need to peel the carrot, just make sure it’s clean. Use a box grater and shred the carrot and half of the onion. Add it to a medium size mixing bowl.

Cut a slit into each of the pork sausages and peel the casings off. Add the sausage meat and the beef mince to the mixing bowl.

Use a microplane to grate the garlic into the bowl, followed by the black pepper and 2 Tbsps of Worcestershire Sauce.

Mix the sausage rolling filling together with a wooden spoon or clean and dry hands until well combined. If the meat is cold it will have a harder time binding together.

Assembling

Remove your butter puff pastry sheets from the freezer and let them thaw for about 10 minutes. Alternatively you can make your own puff pastry or ruff puff.

Divide the sausage roll filling into quarters and add each quarter to either ends of the two pastry sheets. Use your hands to shape the filling into a long cylinder that is the same length of the pastry sheet.

Use a sharp knife to cut down the middle of each pastry sheet so you have 4 sections. Take one side of the pastry and fold it over the sausage filling, overlapping on the other side. Press down to seal. Repeat with the other three sections.

Use a sharp knife and cut your sausage rolls into about 5 sections. You can do as many as 8 for bite sized or as little as 3 if you would like them bigger.

Cooking

Place the sausage rolls onto a lined baking sheet, giving them enough space either side as they will puff up. Optionally brush with egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 Tbsp water) and sprinkle over sesame seeds or poppy seeds.

Place the sausage rolls into a 200C / 400F oven for 25-30 minutes or until they are puffed up and golden brown. Let them cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving.

Serve the sausage rolls with your favourite tomato sauce (ketchup) or relish. They’re great reheated in the oven the next day if you have any leftovers.

Freezing Instructions

You can freeze the uncooked sausage rolls. Place them into an airtight container or bag and into the freezer for up to 3 months. Let them defrost full before baking them in the oven.

Common Questions about Sausage Rolls

What is a Sausage Roll called in America?

Sausage Rolls aren’t that common in America but there is something similar called a ‘Puff Dog’. This is made from a hot dog in puff pastry so it is a bit different.

What are Sausage Rolls made out of?

The common ingredients in Sausage Rolls are meat, usually pork and beef, flavourings and puff pastry.