AI-generated illustration of twelve golden puff-pastry sausage rolls, one open to show cooked filling

Recipe

Homemade Traditional Sausage Rolls

Published 24 October 2026 · Updated 24 October 2026

Flaky, golden puff pastry wraps a savoury sausage filling in these traditional homemade rolls. A firm chill before baking helps the pastry hold its shape, while a sealed underside keeps the filling tucked inside.

Not kitchen tested by The Black Farmer.
Serves 6
Prep 48 min
Cook 35 min
Total 93 min

Timing: Estimated 93 minutes elapsed: 10 minutes pastry standing, with an estimated 5 minutes of hands-on setup in its first half and 5 minutes waiting after setup; 15 minutes assembly; 20 minutes refrigerated chilling with oven preheating in parallel; 3 minutes glazing; 35 minutes baking including probe checks and the 30-second safety hold; then 10 minutes rack rest. Preparation is 48 minutes: an estimated 23 minutes hands-on, 5 minutes additional standing and 20 minutes refrigerated chilling. The first 5 minutes of pastry standing overlaps the 5-minute setup; the remaining 5 minutes is the marinate-phase waiting allowance. Equal-duration setup/standing and chill/preheat pairs are listed with the phase owning the elapsed budget first, so no overlapping task is counted twice. These are editorial estimates, not kitchen-tested measurements. Longer packet-required pastry handling, oven warm-up or cooking to the safe endpoint extends these times.

Ingredients

Other Ingredients You'll Need

  • Raw seasoned sausage meat — 400 g (Required, chilled and ready-seasoned for sausage rolls; not cooked sausage or plain mince. Divide into two 200 g portions. Follow its label for storage and use-by instructions. No particular brand, pack size or formulation is assumed.)
  • Ready-rolled puff pastry — 320 g (One chilled rectangular sheet approximately 35 × 23 cm and 3 mm thick; choose a sheet of these dimensions. Cut lengthways into two 35 × 11.5 cm strips. Recipe quantity, not a linked shopping pack.)
  • Egg — 1 medium (approximately 50 g without shell) (Beat until smooth. Allocate 1 tsp (5 ml) to sealing the two long seams and all the remaining beaten egg to a separate bowl for glazing; apply a thin coat and discard any excess. Not added to the filling.)

Method

Prepare the tray and pastry

Allow 10 minutes for the chilled puff pastry to stand, still wrapped, so it unrolls without cracking; this is included in preparation. Use an estimated 5 minutes of that standing time to line a sturdy 40 × 30 cm metal baking tray with baking parchment, clear fridge space for it, gather the equipment and beat the egg. Put 1 tsp (5 ml) beaten egg in a small bowl for sealing and keep the remainder in a separate bowl in the fridge for glazing. Keep the raw seasoned sausage meat refrigerated until assembly. This schedule assumes chilled pastry whose packet permits this handling; if its instructions require longer, extend preparation accordingly.

Shape and seal the long rolls

Allow 15 minutes for assembly. Unroll the pastry on its paper and check it is approximately 35 × 23 cm and 3 mm thick. Cut along the long middle to make two 35 × 11.5 cm strips. Divide the sausage meat into two 200 g portions and shape each into an even 35 cm log, approximately 2.7 cm in diameter. Lay one log along each strip, leaving a clear 2 cm border at one long edge. Brush those borders with the reserved 1 tsp beaten egg, shared equally. Bring the opposite long edge over the filling, roll to enclose without stretching the pastry and press the egg-brushed overlap firmly closed. Turn both logs seam-side down. Cut each across into six equal pieces, approximately 5.8 cm long, without squashing the cut ends. Place the twelve pieces seam-side down on the lined tray in four rows of three, leaving at least 3 cm between them. Wash hands and clean the board, knife and work surface after handling raw meat. Discard any leftover sealing egg.

Chill and preheat together

Refrigerate the assembled rolls on their tray for 20 minutes until the pastry feels firm. At the start of this chill, preheat the oven to 200°C conventional / 180°C fan / gas 6, with a shelf in the middle; allow 20 minutes for preheating during the same chill, not afterwards. Do not start baking until the oven has reached temperature; an oven that needs longer extends the elapsed time. Keep the glazing egg refrigerated until the next stage.

Glaze the tops

Allow 3 minutes to brush a thin coat of the remaining beaten egg over the tops and curved sides of the chilled rolls, keeping it off the exposed cut ends and preventing pools on the parchment. Make one shallow slit in the top of each piece to let steam escape, without cutting into the filling. Discard unused glazing egg and clean the brush and bowl.

Bake and check the filling

Bake on the middle shelf for an estimated 35 minutes, until the pastry is a deep golden colour, the layers are crisp and the undersides are browned rather than pale and damp. Near the end of that cooking time, insert a clean digital probe from the cut end into the centre of the thickest filling, not just the pastry; check more than one roll, including one from the centre of the tray. The filling must reach at least 75°C and stay at or above that temperature for 30 seconds. This temperature hold and the checks are included in the estimated bake, not an extra resting stage. If the centre has not reached the endpoint or the base is still soft, continue baking and recheck until both are ready; the clock and pastry colour alone do not establish safety. If necessary, loosely shield darkening tops with foil while the filling finishes cooking. Clean the probe between checks.

Rest on a rack and serve

Transfer the cooked rolls to a wire rack and rest for 10 minutes so steam escapes from the undersides and the hot filling settles. Serve warm, allowing two rolls per person with the suggested accompaniments. These are snack-sized rolls, not six substantial meals on their own.

Serving Suggestion

Serve two warm rolls per person with tomato chutney and a salad of watercress, cucumber and radishes, or put the rolls on a sharing plate with English mustard. These accompaniments are optional and are not included in the recipe quantities or timing. No existing recipe link has been forced into this serving suggestion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do the seams open in the oven?

A warm, stretched pastry sheet or a loose seam can spring open as the layers rise. Keep the filling even, press the egg-brushed overlap closed, place the seam underneath and complete the refrigerated chill before baking. Do not add extra filling to these pastry dimensions.

How do I avoid a soggy underside?

Use a metal tray, keep the pieces at least 3 cm apart and bake in the fully preheated oven until their bases are browned. Check the filling with a probe as well as checking the pastry, then move the cooked rolls to a rack for the stated rest rather than leaving steam trapped underneath them.

Can I use plain pork mince instead?

Not as a direct substitution in this version. The recipe uses raw sausage meat that is already seasoned and prepared for sausage rolls; plain mince needs a separately developed seasoning and binding mixture. Do not replace it with cooked sausages either.

Is golden pastry enough to show that the filling is cooked?

No. Probe the thickest centre of the filling from a cut end and check several rolls. It must reach at least 75°C for 30 seconds, as set out in the method. Keep baking and checking if it has not reached that endpoint, shielding the tops if they are browning too far.