Delia Smith Sausage Roll Recipe

This quintessential Delia Smith Sausage Roll Recipe elevates the humble party snack into a gourmet bite by prioritizing high-meat content sausages and fresh sage. Wrapped in buttery, golden puff pastry that shatters upon the first bite, these rolls offer a savory, peppery punch that puts supermarket versions to shame.

Delia Smith Sausage Roll Ingredients

The Pastry:

• 350g (12 oz) Puff Pastry: Delia is a fan of high-quality ready-made all-butter puff pastry for ease and guaranteed flakiness, though you can make your own quick flaky pastry if preferred.
• 1 Egg: Beaten, for the glaze.

The Savory Filling:

• 450g (1 lb) Pork Sausages: Or sausage meat. Delia insists on using the best quality sausages you can find (at least 85% meat) and skinning them, rather than buying generic “sausage meat” which can be fatty and bland.
• 1 small Onion: Peeled and grated (or very finely chopped).
• 1 tbsp Fresh Sage: Finely chopped. Dried sage can be too potent; fresh adds a subtle earthiness.
• Salt and Freshly Milled Black Pepper: To taste.

How To Make Delia Smith Sausage Rolls

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C Fan / Gas 7). Dampen a large baking sheet with cold water (this helps the pastry rise better than greasing it).
2. Prepare the Meat: If using sausages, slit the skins and peel them off. Place the meat in a bowl. Add the grated onion, chopped sage, and plenty of black pepper. Mash everything together with a fork until thoroughly combined.
3. Roll the Pastry: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to a large rectangle, roughly 30cm x 40cm. Cut this down the center lengthways to create two long strips.
4. Fill: Divide the sausage mixture in two. With floured hands, roll each portion into a long sausage shape the same length as the pastry strips. Place one log of meat down the center of each pastry strip.
5. Seal: Brush one long edge of the pastry with a little beaten egg or water. Roll the pastry over the meat to encase it, pressing the edges together firmly to seal. You should now have two long pastry logs.
6. Cut and Glaze: Use a sharp knife to cut the rolls into your desired size—mini bite-sized pieces for parties (about 2.5cm) or longer rolls for lunch. Snip the top of each roll three times with scissors for decoration and steam release. Brush the tops generously with the beaten egg.
7. Bake: Arrange the rolls on the dampened baking sheet. Bake high in the oven for 20–25 minutes. They should be puffed, deep golden brown, and the meat should be cooked through.
8. Cool: Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. They are best served warm.

Recipe Tips

• The Damp Tray Trick: Delia advises dampening the baking tray with water instead of greasing it. As the water evaporates in the hot oven, it creates a little steam which helps the puff pastry rise higher and crisp up.
• Onion Moisture: Grating the onion provides better flavor distribution than chopping, but it releases liquid. Squeeze the grated onion in a paper towel to remove excess juice before adding to the meat, otherwise, the pastry may get soggy from the inside.
• Chilling: If the pastry gets warm and soft while you are working, pop the formed (uncooked) rolls in the fridge for 20 minutes before baking. Cold pastry hitting a hot oven guarantees the best lift.
• Scissors vs. Knife: Using scissors to snip the “V” shapes on top prevents you from squashing the delicate pastry layers, which can happen if you drag a dull knife across them.

What To Serve With Sausage Rolls

• English Mustard: A hot, yellow mustard dip is traditional.
• Pickle: Branston pickle or a dark onion chutney contrasts with the fatty pork.
• Apple Slaw: A fresh apple and cabbage salad cuts through the richness.
• Tomato Soup: Serve larger rolls as a side to a warming bowl of soup.

How To Store Sausage Rolls

• Refrigerate: Store cooled rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Reheat: Never microwave savory pastry; it becomes flabby. Reheat in a hot oven (200°C) for 10 minutes to crisp them back up.
• Freeze: You can freeze these raw (after step 6) or cooked. Freeze flat on a tray then bag up. Bake from frozen (add 10 minutes to cooking time) or reheat from frozen.

Delia Smith Sausage Roll Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 180 kcal
• Fat: 12g
• Carbohydrates: 14g
• Protein: 6g
• Sodium: 250mg

Nutrition information is estimated per mini roll.

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Delia Smith Sausage Casserole Red Wine Recipe
• Delia Smith Vegetarian Sausage Rolls Recipe​
• Delia Smith Sage and Onion Stuffing Recipe