Anthony’s 3 ingredient sausage rolls
Part of the Australian themed recipes I wanted to release, were sausage rolls. Sausage rolls might not have originated in Australia, they are of British origin but they are definitely a popular food item among all Aussies. A typical snack choice, addition to any bakery menu and even at kids’ birthday parties.
Anthony’s sausage rolls
Many years ago, at our friend’s birthday party there was a whole platter of these sausage rolls. I honestly must have had half a dozen just to myself. They were absolutely delicious! Now forward to the end of September last year I reached out to our friend’s dad, Anthony, who shared his method with me! He found it funny that I even remembered them after all this time and that I was seeking his recipe. I thank him for speaking to me, sharing his family history, the recipe and also emailing me some progress shots of when he made them!
Anthony’s parents ran a café in Ballarat across the road from the Town Hall for 15 years, from 1949 to 1964. They would make pasties, apples pies, sausage rolls from scratch and many more. His father would make sausage rolls using mince and spices, he’d place the mixture in the funnel to make a sausage and then fold the pastry over. Over the years though Anthony has developed his recipe to make them more efficiently, so much so that he makes them on a regular basis.
3 ingredient sausage rolls
A typical sausage roll recipe includes a filling made from scratch with mince, spices, onions, eggs and breadcrumbs. All you need for this recipe though is puff pastry, good quality gourmet sausages and some water for brushing! That’s it! Simply 3 ingredients and 15min of prep time.
The type of sausages to choose
Anthony’s advice to make these 3 ingredient sausage rolls is to choose gourmet flavoured sausages of your liking, not the plain BBQ beef sausages. Two of the ones he likes to use are pork and fennel sausages or angus beef with caramelized onion. I know a few of you might argue that using ready-made sausages might not be the healthiest option but you may choose the sausages you usually enjoy eating anyway with your family. For a more health-conscious option, choose organic sausages that are free of preservatives and enhancers.
Anthony’s tips for the perfect sausage rolls
These 3 ingredient sausage rolls have been quite a regular creation for Anthony and so he has shared with me some of his tips to get them perfect each time.
1. Don’t thaw the puff pastry way ahead of time. Simply leave them on the bench just before you start preparing the sausages. Otherwise, the pastry will be too soft and it would be harder to handle.
2. Once you place the two sausages on the pastry join them in the middle.
3. Before rolling the puff pastry you may wet the seams so they can stick together well. And place the sausage rolls with the seams facing down to avoid them opening up while baking.
4. Loosely roll the puff pastry so that the meat won’t poke out. The pastry and mince both expand so you don’t want to roll it too tight otherwise the sausage rolls might open up while baking.
5. When the sausage rolls are formed, push them down with your hand gently and then with the back of the knife make some diagonal impressions.
6. Using sesame seeds is optional, for decoration. However, you may use different colour sesame seeds or even poppy seeds to differentiate the type of sausages you use. It can be very helpful especially if you are freezing them for another time.
7. Wet the tops with water before cooking to help the puff pastry cook through to be more even.
How to freeze sausage rolls
If you don’t want to bake all the sausage rolls at once then you can easily freeze them or you can even freeze them baked. My preference would be to freeze them uncooked, that way you can bake them fresh and they are nice and crisp when you eat them. Either way, ensure you label them before storing with the date you freeze them. They’ll keep well for up to 3 months typically.
To freeze them uncooked, simply line a baking tray with baking paper and place the prepared sausage rolls on it, leaving some space around each. Place the tray uncovered in the freezer for 3-4 hours until the sausage rolls are frozen. Then remove them from the tray and place them in a freezer bag or sealed container back into the freezer. When needed, bake from frozen and follow the same instructions as the recipe below, with an added 5min or so of baking time.
Here are some more Aussie themed recipes I created, which includes Rocky road with macadamia and cherry ripe, 3 ingredient scones, Meringue nests with passionfruit cream and mango, Lamington crepe cake and Weetbix coated fish fillets.
For more baked good creations, traditional and non, check out this link!
Would love to hear your feedback below or on any of my social media pages – Facebook or Instagram .
- 3 puff pastry sheets, 24cm squares
- 12 gourmet beef or pork sausages, 1kg, 12cm long each
- Small bowl of water, for brushing
- 4 tbs mixed sesame seeds, black and white (optional for decoration)
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Preheat the oven to 190˚C fan forced. Take out 3 puff pastries, separate them and leave them on a clean working bench. With kitchen scissors gently cut through the skin of each sausage without cutting through the meat. Discard the sausage skin and repeat the process until all the sausages are done.
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Place a puff pastry in front of you and put two sausages in line on the top quarter of the puff pastry and two sausages on the bottom quarter. Join each pair of sausages together then cut the puff pastry along in the middle. Brush some water on the edges of the pastry and loosely roll the sausages making sure that the seams are sealed and are facing downwards. Cut the rolls in four equal parts, make sure the meat is not poking out and pinch the edges of each side a bit. Repeat the process with the rest of the sausages and puff pastries, 24 sausages will be made.
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Line a baking tray with some baking paper and add enough sausages on itfor them to cook but allow space around them as they will expand. Brush the top with some water. Using the back of the knife press gently on top of the puff pastry to make some diagonal impressions and then sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.
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Bake for 25min on the top oven rack until they are golden brown. Enjoy the baked sausage rolls with some tomato sauce for a snack or even a salad to complete the meal. Read the notes above for more details on freezing sausage rolls.
