Flaky homemade rough puff wrapped around a well-seasoned beef-and-pork filling
Sausage rolls are a fixture of Australian bakeries, parties and lunchboxes. This from-scratch version replaces bought pastry with a quick rough puff and uses a moist beef-and-pork filling bound with homemade breadcrumbs. The shaped rolls can be frozen before baking, making them especially useful for batch cooking.
- Prep
- 1 hour
- Cook
- 30 mins
- Chill
- 1 hour.
- Total
- 2 hours 30 mins
- Serves
- 12
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
The recipe
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Before you start
For the pastry, mix flour and salt, toss through the cold butter, then add lemon juice and enough ice water to form a shaggy dough. Roll and fold it into thirds four times, chilling whenever the butter softens, then refrigerate for 1 hour. Soak breadcrumbs in milk for 5 minutes before mixing the filling.
Ingredients
For the rough puff pastry
For the filling
For finishing
Quantities change with servings; cooking times stay the same.
Equipment
- Two baking trays paid link
- Baking paper paid link
- Large mixing bowl paid link
- Rolling pin paid link
- Pastry brush paid link
- Box grater paid link
- Instant-read thermometer paid link
- Chef’s knife paid link
- Digital kitchen scale paid link
Method
Heat the oven to 210°C conventional or 190°C fan. Line two trays with baking paper.
Combine pork, beef, onion, garlic, soaked breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, sage, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix only until evenly combined.
Fry a teaspoon of filling, taste it, and correct the seasoning before shaping the full batch.
Divide the chilled pastry into four pieces. Roll each into a rectangle about 12 cm wide and 3 mm thick.
Form one-quarter of the filling into a firm log along each rectangle. Brush the far pastry edge with egg wash, roll tightly, and place seam-side down.
Chill the four long rolls for 15 minutes, then cut each into three equal pieces.
Place the 12 rolls on the trays with space between them. Brush with egg mixed with milk and scatter with sesame seeds if using.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, rotating the trays halfway, until deeply golden and the center reaches at least 72°C.
Rest for 10 minutes before serving or cool completely before storing.
Chef’s notes
Visible butter pieces in rough puff are intentional. They melt between folded layers and create lift.
Grating the onion releases juice that keeps the filling tender. Do not squeeze it dry.
Mixing the meat too aggressively makes the filling dense. Stop as soon as the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Tips and variations
Freeze shaped unbaked rolls on a tray, then transfer them to a sealed container. Bake from frozen, adding 8–12 minutes.
For party-size rolls, cut each long roll into six pieces and begin checking after 20 minutes.
Keep pastry and filling cold during shaping. Chill the tray before baking if the pastry feels soft.
Tomato sauce is the classic accompaniment, but a homemade tomato relish also works well.
Serve with
Serve warm with the cut ends showing the juicy filling and distinct flaky pastry layers.
Storage
Refrigerate cooked rolls for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Freeze unbaked rolls for up to 2 months. Reheat cooked rolls at 180°C until crisp and piping hot; avoid the microwave when possible.
Nutrition per serving (estimated)
- 520 kcal
- Calories
- 22 g
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbohydrates
- 35 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 720 mg
- Sodium
Allergens
Contains wheat, gluten, milk and egg. Worcestershire sauce commonly contains fish from anchovies; check the label.
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Questions
Can the pastry be made a day ahead?
Yes. Wrap it tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days before rolling.
Why did the pastry leak butter?
The dough became too warm or the butter pieces were exposed. Chill the shaped rolls before baking and seal obvious tears.
Can only pork or only beef be used?
Yes. Pork gives a softer filling, while beef is firmer; the mixture balances both qualities.
Can sausage rolls be baked from frozen?
Yes. Do not thaw them; brush before freezing or add egg wash while frozen, then allow extra baking time.
