The Ultimate Sausage Roll.
Homemade pork & apple sausage meat wrapped in a flaky handmade puff pastry.
What if I told you there were ways to make the humble sausage roll even better? Well in today’s recipe, we are doing just that.
We’re making it all from scratch. From the sausage meat filling to the super flaky puff pastry.
This one takes a bit of effort but the results are worth it!
The Sausage Meat.
Essentially,sausage meat breaks down into five components.
These are;
The meat
Amount of fat
Binding/Liquid
Seasoning
Flavourings
The key to a flavourful, well seasoned sausage meat that retains moisture is to find the perfect balance between each of these elements.
Meat.
When it comes to sausage meat, both the quality & cut of meats used will determine how the finished sausage turns out. The higher the quality, the better!
Ideally, when making pork sausage you’d want to use a fattier cut such as shoulder or belly - or a mixture of both. This will give you the ideal ratio of fat to meat without having to add any extra fat in.
In this recipe, we’re using pork but beef, lamb or even goat can be used.
Fat.
To prevent the sausage drying out whilst cooking, a minimum of 20% fat to 80% meat should be used. As discussed above, because they are fatty cuts of pork, using a combination of shoulder & belly will give the sausage the correct amount of fat without the need to add any extra in.
On the other hand, too much fat will cause the sausage meat to shrink whilst cooking. Finding the balance is key to making sausage that stays moist whilst not shrinking.
Binding/Liquid.
Made from a dried, yeast less bread, rusk has a bit of a bad reputation thanks to cheap, mass produced sausages. But prepared correctly & used in the right amount, rusk actually helps sausage meat retain moisture whilst it is cooked.
To use rusk in sausage, it must first be soaked in liquid. This also provides another opportunity to add flavour in. Here any number of liquids could be used, be it beer, cider or wine. I’ve used a 50/50 mix of apple juice & water for this recipe.
Seasoning.
Take a look online & you can find many pre made sausage seasonings. From traditional Cumberland or Lincolnshire sausage flavourings to honey & mustard or garlic & herb. These are a quick way to easily flavour sausage meat.
If your making your own seasoning mix, as a general rule, the amount of salt used should be 1%-2% of the total meat’s weight.
Flavourings.
Dried herbs & spices are a great way to flavour sausage meat because they pack a stronger flavour as appose to fresh. It’s best to start off with a smaller amount to begin with then adding more as needed.
Another way to add flavour is too change up the liquid used to soak the rusk (if using). In this recipe, I use apple juice to soak the rusk with & also add in some fresh apple to the meat. A small amount of brown sugar is also used for a subtle caramelised flavour.
The Puff Pastry.
Next up is the pastry.
Making your own puff pastry requires a fair amount of effort but the results are worth it! Homemade puff pastry is super flaky & rich. So much better than shop brought…
Puff pastry is made using a method called lamination. This is where dough is wrapped around butter then rolled out & folded multiple times. Resulting in alternating layers of dough & butter.
The steam produced from the water in the dough & in the butter layers is what causes the pastry to rise whilst cooking.
The most important part of making puff pastry is temperature.
When making & handling the dough, it should be kept as cold as possible. If the dough gets too warm then the butter will start to melt, damaging the pastry’s layers, affecting the rise & flakiness of the baked pastry.
Baking the pastry straight from the fridge is key to keeping the layers separate as the pastry goes in the oven. Alongside a high oven temperature, this is what ensures that the pastry rises properly.
Notes.
This recipe makes a lot of sausage meat. If you don’t want to use it all straight away, it freezes well.
I’ve included instructions for mincing the pork at home but if you haven’t got a mincer, ask your butcher for the meat finely minced.
Like puff pastry, sausage meat needs to be kept cold whilst being made. This stops the fat from “smearing”, which negatively affects the texture of the sausage.
Before making, chill the meat, liquid & mincer parts in the fridge for at least 1 hour.The puff pastry recipe uses T45 flour which has a low ash content & is what is used in France for puff pastry. I get mine from Shipton Mill. Plain flour can also be used.
Rusk is a dried, yeast less bread which can be found online. I got mine from a company called Weschenfelder.
Equipment.
A mincer - See notes.
Large mixing bowls
Pork & Apple Sausage Meat
Makes Enough For 2 Batches Of Sausage Rolls | Prep: 2 Hours + Overnight In Fridge
Ingredients.
1kg Pork Shoulder - Skin & Bones Removed
500g Pork Belly - Skin & Bones Removed
150g Rusk
300g Ice Cold Liquid - 50% Water, 50% Apple Juice
60g Grated Apple
25g Salt
1/2 tsp Dark Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Dried Sage
1/4 tsp Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
1/8 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/8 tsp Ground Ginger
Method.
Start by cutting the meat into chunks, small enough to fit in the mincer then mince using a coarse mincer plate. Place the minced pork back in the fridge.
In a bowl, combine the rusk with the water & apple juice & leave to soak in the fridge for 1 hour.
Next, use your hands to break down the soaked rusk then add to the minced pork along with the grated apple, salt & all of the other dry ingredients. Using your hands, give the meat a good mix then place back in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Switch the mincer plate to a fine one then use to mince the chilled meat. Mix with your hands until the meat starts to emulsify together, roughly 3-4 minutes.
Fry a small piece off to check the seasoning, adding more if needed then chill in the fridge overnight.
Puff Pastry.
Makes 1kg | Prep: 4 Hours + Overnight In Fridge
Ingredients.
Dough
400g T45 Flour
80g Unsalted Butter - Diced & Chilled
180g Water - Ice Cold
8g Sea Salt
10g White Wine Vinegar
Butter Block
320g Unsalted Butter
Method.
In a bowl, place the flour & salt. Add in the butter then rub in until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add in the water & vinegar & mix until a rough dough forms.
Tip onto a clean work surface & knead lightly until the pastry forms a smooth dough - be careful not to overwork.
Wrap in clingfilm & chill in the fridge.For the butter block, slice the butter & place onto a clean worksurface. Sprinkle with a small amount of T45 flour then pound with a rolling pin until the butter pieces have combined together completely.
On a large piece of baking parchment, use a sharpie to draw a 5”x5” square then flip the parchment over so that the pen won’t touch the butter.
Place the butter inside the square & fold the parchment so that it encases the butter & is the same size as the square you drew.
Use a rolling pin to spread the butter into the edges then chill in the fridge until firm but still pliable, 1-1.5 hours. (The butter should also be the same temperature as the dough).Next, on a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a 8”x8” square. Place the butter block into the centre of the dough in a diamond shape.
Fold the corners of the dough into the centre of the butter & pinch to seal - the dough should fully encase the butter.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out lengthways into a rectangle with a thickness of 1.5cm.
Brush off any excess flour from the pastry, visually divide the dough into thirds widthways then lightly dampen the middle third with cold water.
Fold the top third of dough over the middle third then lightly dampen the top of this third with water. Finally, fold the bottom third over the middle then turn the dough 90° clockwise.
*This is one turn.
Roll the dough out lengthways again (into a 1.5cm thick rectangle) & repeat the folding process. Use a finger to lightly indent the dough in the bottom right hand corner* then wrap in clingfilm & chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
*So you remember which way the dough was facing…After an hour, place the dough back onto a lightly floured surface (the same position as before) & turn 90° clockwise.
Repeat the rolling, folding & turning process twice more then chill in the fridge for another hour.Next, repeat step 10 (this will bring the total number of folds up to 6). The pastry is now complete. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before using but overnight is best.
Pork & Apple Sausage Rolls.
Makes 4-6 | Prep: 1 Hour | Cook Time: 20-25 Minutes
Ingredients.
1kg Puff Pastry
1kg Sausage Meat
To Finish
2 Egg Yolks
1 tsp Cold Water
Pinch Of Table Salt
1/4 tsp Sesame Seeds
1/4 tsp Nigella Seeds
Maldon Salt
Method.
Take the puff pastry out of the fridge & leave at room temperature for 10 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out into a rectangle measuring 35cm x 25cm. Place onto a baking tray & chill for 1 hour.
In the meantime, using a double layer of clingfilm, roll the sausage meat into a 30cm long cylinder. Chill in the fridge.
Prepare the egg wash by whisking together the yolks, water & salt.
Remove the pastry from the fridge & brush the top lightly with egg wash (place the remaining egg wash into the fridge for later). Place the sausage meat down the length of the pastry, leaving a 6-7cm border on the side closest to you.
Fold the side of pastry that is furthest away from you, over the sausage meat to meet the border that you left earlier. Press down lightly to seal the two edges together then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Next, use a fork to crimp the pastry down the length of the seam. Use a sharp knife to trim the seam down slightly then chill in the fridge for another 30 minutes.
Now to portion the sausage rolls.
Start by trimming each end with a knife, to expose the sausage meat. Next, portion into either 4-6 pieces (depending on what size sausage roll your after), making sure to wipe the blade after each cut.
Place onto a lined baking tray & chill in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours (up to 24).Preheat an oven to 200°c.
Lightly brush each sausage roll with egg wash then chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Brush another light layer of egg wash on then chill for a further 10 minutes.
Mix together the sesame & nigella seeds then sprinkle over each sausage roll along with a pinch of Maldon salt.Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a deep golden brown & the internal temperature reaches 75°c.
Remove from the oven & leave to cool on a wire rack before serving.
Kept in the fridge, the sausage rolls will last for 2-3 days.
Thanks for reading this week’s exclusive recipe. See you next week!
