Irish Sausage Rolls Recipe

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: This Irish Sausage Rolls Recipe brings you an ultimate comfort food packed with meaty goodness and wrapped in a blanket of the easiest homemade flaky puff pastry! 

For those of you who don’t know, I’m from Ireland but live in the States. When I’m craving something from home, I always make a batch of my Sausage Rolls recipe. It hits the spot every time, and I can get it done in just an hour.

These savory Sausage Rolls are wrapped in my Homemade Flaky Puff Pastry, which yields simple, bite-sized snacks or casual hors d’oeuvres. It’s a classic snack food in Ireland, and you can get them at all hot counters and even gas stations. They’re the ultimate comfort food to me, and they can be yours too.

Perfect for making ahead of time as appetizers at parties and get-togethers. Gather your favorite ground meats, vegetables, and spices, and try making these Homemade Sausage Rolls from scratch!

Table Of Contents

• What Are Sausage Rolls
• Tools You Need 
• Ingredients For Sausage Rolls
• How To Make Homemade Sausage Rolls
• Vegetarian Sausage Rolls
• Can I Make Sausage Rolls In Advance?
• How To Store Homemade Sausage Rolls
• FAQs
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• More Savory Pastries

What Are Sausage Rolls?

Sausage Rolls are savory pastry snacks that consist of pork sausage meat wrapped in puff pastry. The meat is formed into logs then sealed in the pastry with egg wash. They are popular in Commonwealth nations and are considered to-go foods. 

Although Sausage Rolls are known especially in the UK, they actually originated in 19th-century France. However, the English made this snack popular after filling the pastry with ground pork.

Tools You Need :

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Baking tray
• Parchment paper
• Mixing bowl
• Silicone spatula
• Rolling pin
• Knife
• Pastry brush
• Fork

Ingredients For Sausage Rolls:

• Sausage meat: Any kind of ground sausage meat will do, but I recommend using loose ground sausage. Remove the skins of the sausages if they have casings.
• Eggs: Use a large, good-quality egg.
• Egg wash: To make egg wash, beat one large egg and a tablespoon of milk until well combined. Egg-washing your pastry will create a nice, shiny finish.
• Onion: Slightly sweet and sharp flavor will balance out the heartiness of your sausage meat.
• Breadcrumbs: Even better if they’re fresh, they’ll keep your sausage rolls moist. Check out my Homemade Breadcrumbs recipe!
• Salt: Just a pinch will bring out the flavors of your ingredients.
• Pepper: You can’t have salt without black pepper! It’ll make your sausage rolls taste bold.
• Puff Pastry: A flaky and light pastry that will add texture and buttery flavor to your rolls. Make Puff Pastry from scratch!

How To Make Homemade Sausage Rolls:

1. Preheat the oven, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, mix the sausage, egg, onion, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper then set aside.
3. On a lightly-floured work surface, roll pastry into a big rectangle.
4. Cut the pastry sheet in half lengthwise so that you have two strips of dough.
5. Divide the sausage mixture in half. For each piece of dough, form half of the sausage meat into tube shapes that run the length of the rectangles. Brush the edges of the pastry with egg wash.
6. Fold one side of the pastry over the filling then shape it into a log. Trim the pastry to tidy up the edges and press with a fork to seal. Use the fork to poke holes in the top of the pastry.
7. Cut both long rolls into pieces and place them on your prepared baking sheet.
8. Brush with the rest of the egg wash and bake in the preheated oven until puffed and golden brown.
9. Let cool before serving.

Vegetarian Sausage Rolls

The great thing about this Irish Sausage Rolls Recipe is that it creates a mix-and-match kind of snack where you can add and omit ingredients. Substitute the ground meat for more vegetable fillings. Make sure to saute the vegetables a bit before adding them to your mixture to take away some of the extra moisture.

Can I Make Sausage Rolls In Advance?

These Homemade Sausage Rolls are perfect for making in advance! Simply make the rolls as usual and pop them in the refrigerator if you’re planning on serving them on the same day. Make sure not to egg-wash until you start baking. 

How To Store Homemade Sausage Rolls

If you have leftover cooked and uncooked Sausage Rolls, you can store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or up to 3 months in the freezer. To heat from the freezer, defrost them in the refrigerator overnight before baking off.

FAQs

Why are the bottoms of my Sausage Rolls Soggy?

The soggy bottom of your Sausage Rolls may be because your pastry absorbed the extra moisture from your sausage filling, or your pastry softened from handling, causing the gluten structure to collapse before fully forming. 

To prevent soggy Sausage Rolls, keep in mind 1)Try squeezing out as much moisture from your onions as possible to keep them from affecting your pastry. 2)Or refrigerate your pastry for a bit to keep its shape when baking. 3) You can also  blind bake the pastry to create a solid base for your sausage filling. 4)Another method to prevent a soggy bottom is to place your rolls on a cooling rack to let the steam come out from the bottom.

Why are my Sausage Rolls splitting open?

Your Sausage Rolls may split open while baking because the meat filling will shrink and release fat. Try your best to wrap the pastry as tightly as possible over the filling, press your fork to seal the edges, and brush a good amount of egg wash.

How do I keep my Sausage Rolls from going dry?

To ensure a moist Sausage Roll, make sure to incorporate fresh breadcrumbs and non-lean pork into your sausage filling. Breadcrumbs add a great amount of moisture to your rolls, as it absorbs the fats of your meat and will keep the bottom from going soggy. Using non-lean pork will increase the fat and moisture in your roll; however, make sure not to work the sausage filling too much otherwise it can make it tough and dry.

How do I know if my Sausage Rolls are cooked through?

The best way to know if your Sausage Rolls are cooked through is to check the pastry. If it becomes golden brown and crispy, it’s likely your rolls are properly cooked through. If you want to double-check, feel free to take one out of the oven, cut it open, and use a meat thermometer or check the color of the meat. An internal temperature of 165°F or higher is safe for consumption, but you can also look out for a mostly brown interior. If it’s slightly pink, that’s okay.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips:

• Use my Easy Homemade Puff Pastry for this recipe.
• Use loose ground sausage for this Sausage Rolls Recipe. If you can only find sausage in the casing, then cut away and remove the casing.
• Classic sausage rolls have a very simple filling, but if you care to dress this up with fresh chopped herbs or diced peppers or greens, feel free!
• You can use store-bought puff pastry if you are pressed for time!
• These can be assembled and frozen before baking. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then brush with egg wash and bake!
• Try out my Fresh Homemade Breadcrumbs.
• If you use ‘dried’ breadcrumbs then you need to reduce the amount, so use 1/4 cup of dried breadcrumbs.

More Savory Pastries:

• Caprese Savory Tart
• Savory Zucchini & Cheese Muffins
• Simple & Savory Cornbread Muffins
• Cheddar & Jalapeno Savory Donuts
• 3 Savory Pop-Tarts

And don’t miss more everyday baking recipes in my NEW Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day Cookbook!

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