James Martin Sausage Rolls

James Martin Sausage Rolls are made with a luxurious homemade puff pastry, premium sausage meat, brandy, and aromatic thyme. This recipe creates a golden, buttery pastry with thousands of crisp layers wrapped around a savory, rich meat filling, served with a unique sweet and tangy homemade HP dipping sauce. They are the perfect high-end snack for a festive party buffet, a picnic, or an indulgent weekend lunch.

Try More Recipes:

• James Martin Saturday Morning​ Lasagne Recipe
• James Martin shepherd’s pie​
• James Martin Dauphinoise Potatoes

Why You Will Love This Sausage Rolls Recipe:

• The “Real” Pastry Layers: Most homemade sausage rolls use store-bought pastry. This recipe teaches you how to make proper laminated dough with blocks of butter. The result is a pastry that shatters when you bite it, with thousands of delicate, buttery layers.
• The Secret Dipping Sauce: The combination of white raisins and HP sauce sounds unusual, but it is a chef’s stroke of genius. The sweetness of the plump raisins perfectly balances the sharp, vinegary tang of the brown sauce, making it addictive.
• Sophisticated Flavor: The filling isn’t just pork. The addition of brandy and fresh thyme gives the meat a warming, aromatic depth that tastes like a high-end restaurant dish rather than a kids’ party snack.
• No “Soggy Bottoms”: By frying the onions and garlic before adding them to the meat, you remove their excess moisture. This ensures the pastry stays crisp on the inside, not just the outside.
• The Ultimate “Show-Off” Dish: Because the pastry puffs up so high (doubling in size), these rolls look spectacular. They are the perfect centerpiece for a holiday buffet or a fancy picnic.

James Martin Sausage Rolls Ingredients

For the Homemade Puff Pastry:

• 500g plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 600g cold butter (divided: 100g cubed, 500g in a block)
• 300ml iced water
• 10g salt

For the Filling:

• 750g sausage meat (high quality)
• 25g butter
• 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
• 50ml brandy
• Few sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg and 1 egg yolk (for egg wash)

For the Dipping Sauce:

• 200g white raisins (soaked in boiling water overnight)
• 300ml HP sauce

How To Make James Martin Sausage Rolls

1. Make the dough base: Place the flour, salt, and 100g of cubed butter into a large bowl. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Slowly mix in the iced water with a wooden spoon until a pliable dough forms.
2. Knead and chill: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead well until elastic. Wrap it in cling film and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
3. Prepare the filling: Melt 25g of butter in a pan. Fry the onion, garlic, and thyme for 5 minutes until soft. Add the brandy and bring to a boil to cook off the alcohol. Remove from heat and chill. Once cold, mix this into the sausage meat, season, and roll into long sausage logs. Chill these logs.
4. Laminate the pastry (Step 1): Roll the chilled dough into a rectangle (60 x 30cm). Flatten the remaining 500g block of butter into a rectangle about 1cm thick. Place the butter over two-thirds of the dough.
5. Fold the pastry: Fold the empty one-third of the dough over the butter. Then fold the butter-covered side on top of that (like a letter). You now have 3 layers. Chill for 1 hour.
6. Turns (Step 2 & 3): Roll the dough out again to the same size. Fold it in three again (letter fold). Chill for 1 hour. Repeat this rolling and folding process 2 more times, chilling for 1 hour between each turn. Finally, wrap and rest overnight.
7. Assemble: Roll the dough out to 5mm thick. Cut into long rectangles (approx 13cm wide). Place a log of sausage meat in the center. Brush the edges with egg wash and seal the pastry around the meat.
8. Bake: Cut the long rolls into smaller individual sausage rolls. Place on a baking tray and let them rest for a few minutes (or chill briefly). Brush with egg wash. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes until puffed, doubled in height, and golden brown.
9. Make the sauce: Drain the soaked raisins. Place them in a food processor with the HP sauce and blitz until smooth. Serve with the warm sausage rolls.

Recipe Tips :

• Keep Ingredients Cold: The secret to puff pastry is keeping the butter cold. If the butter melts while you are rolling, you will lose the flaky layers. Use iced water and chill the dough religiously between folds.
• Soak the Raisins: Soaking the white raisins overnight rehydrates them. This makes them easy to blend and adds a natural sweetness that cuts through the sharp, vinegary taste of the HP sauce.
• Cook the Onions: It is important to cook the onions and garlic before adding them to the raw meat. Raw onions contain water that can make the pastry soggy from the inside out.
• The Brandy Kick: The brandy adds a rich, warming depth to the filling. If you boil it as instructed, the harsh alcohol evaporates, leaving just the flavor.

What To Serve With Sausage Rolls?

These premium sausage rolls are a meal in themselves, especially with the raisin HP sauce however, they pair beautifully with a sharp cheddar cheese platter and pickled onions. For a fresher side, serve with a crunchy coleslaw or a peppery watercress salad. They are also excellent with a pint of cold beer or cider.

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How To Store Leftovers Sausage Rolls?

• Refrigerate: Store the cooked sausage rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pastry will soften slightly.
• Uncooked: Freeze the assembled raw rolls on a tray, then bag them up. Bake from frozen (add 10 minutes to cooking time).
• Cooked: Freeze cooked rolls for up to 1 month. Reheat in a hot oven to crisp up the pastry.

How To Reheat Leftovers Sausage Rolls?

Important Rule: Do not microwave these sausage rolls. The microwave will melt the butter in the pastry and steam the dough, turning your beautiful crispy layers into a soft, soggy mess.

1. The Oven Method (The Gold Standard) :

This is the best way to ensure the pastry is crisp and the thick sausage meat is hot all the way through.

• Preheat: Set your oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Place: Put the sausage rolls on a baking tray. You do not need to add oil.
• Bake: Heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Check: Because the meat filling is dense, check that the center is piping hot before serving.
• Result: The pastry will be shattered and flaky, just like fresh.

2. The Air Fryer Method (Quick & Crispy) :

The air fryer works perfectly for smaller batches and makes the pastry incredibly crunchy.

• Temperature: Set the air fryer to 320°F (160°C). It is better to use a slightly lower heat so the meat warms through before the pastry burns.
• Heat: Cook for 6 to 8 minutes.
• Tip: If the pastry starts getting too dark, cover the rolls with a small piece of foil for the last few minutes.

FAQs :

Try More Recipes:

• James Martin Saturday Morning​ Lasagne Recipe
• James Martin shepherd’s pie​
• James Martin Dauphinoise Potatoes

Sausage Rolls Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 sausage roll (based on 12 large rolls)

• Calories: 620 kcal
• Total Fat: 45g
• Saturated Fat: 28g
• Cholesterol: 110mg
• Sodium: 680mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 38g
• Dietary Fiber: 2g
• Sugars: 12g
• Protein: 14g

James Martin Sausage Rolls

Recipe by Ella ThompsonCourse: Dinner, Lunch, SidesCuisine: American, BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12 rolls

servings

Prep time

1

hour 

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

620

kcal

Prep time : 1 hour (+ overnight rest )

Ingredients :

• Pastry:

• 500g plain flour

• 600g cold butter

• 300ml iced water

• 10g salt

• Filling:

• 750g sausage meat

• 1 onion & 3 garlic cloves, diced

• 50ml brandy & fresh thyme

• Sauce:

• 200g white raisins (soaked)

• 300ml HP sauce

Directions

• Dough: Rub 100g butter into flour. Mix with water. Knead and chill.
• Laminate: Roll dough. Add 500g butter block. Fold and chill. Repeat folding 3 times. Rest overnight.
• Filling: Sauté onion, garlic, and thyme. Add brandy. Cool and mix with sausage meat.
• Assemble: Roll dough, fill with meat, seal with egg wash.
• Bake: Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 15 minutes until golden.
• Sauce: Blitz soaked raisins with HP sauce. Serve.