Sausage Rolls From Scratch (With Real Butcher's Sausage Meat)
The filling ratio, why sausage meat beats plain mince, the soggy-bottom fix, and how to freeze a big batch raw.
A good sausage roll is 80% filling, and the filling should not be plain mince. It should be seasoned, slightly fatty, and bound just enough to slice cleanly. That's what sausage meat is.
Why sausage meat, not mince
Sausage meat — sausage mixture without the casing — is already seasoned (sage, pepper, nutmeg, sometimes rusk) and ground to the right fat level (around 75/25) for a juicy roll. Plain lean mince makes a dense, dry sausage roll that needs a lot of help.
If you can only get mince, use pork mince at 80/20 and add: 1 slice of bread blitzed to crumb per 500g, 1 egg, 1 grated onion (squeezed dry), 1 tsp each salt, sage, pepper, ¼ tsp nutmeg.
The filling (makes ~24 party rolls)
- 800g sausage meat (or the pork mince mix above)
- 1 grated apple or 1 grated carrot, squeezed dry — moisture and a touch of sweet
- 1 small onion, grated and squeezed
- 30g fresh breadcrumb
- 1 egg
- Extra sage, thyme, a little Worcestershire
Mix by hand until just combined. Fry a teaspoon to taste and adjust the salt.
The build
- Cut ready-rolled puff pastry sheets in half. Pipe or spoon a 3cm log of filling down the long edge.
- Egg-wash the far edge, roll, seal seam-side down.
- The soggy-bottom fix: chill the rolls 20 minutes, then cut, then bake on a preheated tray or a wire rack over a tray. Cold pastry + hot tray = a crisp base.
- Slash the tops, egg-wash, scatter sesame or fennel seed.
- 220°C for 15 minutes, then 190°C for 10–15 until deep gold and the filling reads 72°C.
Freezing
Freeze them raw, cut and spaced on a tray, then bag once solid. Bake from frozen — same temps, add 8–10 minutes. Far better than freezing them cooked.
Buying
We make sausage meat and gourmet sausages fresh, plus ready-to-bake sausage rolls if you want to skip the pastry work. For a party, order sausages in bulk.
Frequently asked questions
What meat do you use for sausage rolls?
Sausage meat — sausage mixture without the casing. It's already seasoned and ground to about 75/25 fat, which gives a juicy roll. If you only have mince, use pork mince at 80/20 and add crumb, egg, grated onion and sage, pepper, nutmeg.
How do you stop sausage rolls having a soggy bottom?
Chill the assembled rolls 20 minutes before cutting, then bake them on a preheated oven tray or a wire rack set over a tray. Cold pastry meeting a hot surface sets a crisp base immediately.
Can you freeze sausage rolls?
Yes — and freeze them raw, not cooked. Cut and space them on a tray, freeze until solid, then bag. Bake straight from frozen at the same temperatures, adding 8–10 minutes.
What temperature do you bake sausage rolls?
220°C for 15 minutes to puff and colour the pastry, then drop to 190°C for another 10–15 minutes until deep gold and the filling reaches 72°C.