25 June 2014

Pizza and sausage rolls

I have a couple of food recipes for you today. I love sharing my recipes, they're just plain and simple, but I get a thrill when people say they like them. I really should say I have one recipe because one is for pizza and I don't think you can recommend a recipe for that because everyone has their own ideal toppings. I, for instance, love anchovies on my pizza but most people's eyes glaze over when I say that. Apologies to all with weak stomachs.  


I do however, have a hint for a base that might make pizza night easier for you. When I know I'm going to have pizza during a particular week, when I make my next batch of bread, I add another cup of flour, more water, a pinch more yeast and a splash of olive oil. Oil or butter in dough makes the dough more tender and pliable so it's easier to roll out flat when preparing pizza. It doesn't spoil the bread by adding it. When the dough is made in the bread machine, I take off a piece big enough for one pizza base and freeze it or refrigerate it (depending on when I'll be making it) until it's needed. It saves me the extra step on the pizza night of making the dough. I've been making wholemeal dough lately but pizza dough can be made with any type of bread flour. I should remind you the pizza dough I make is for two people. Adjust yours according to the number of bases you need.


My other recipe is for sausage rolls. These are sold in almost every bakery in Australia and when my boys where young, they were always the most popular food I served at their birthday parties. They're a good standby to have when you're entertaining, especially on cold winter nights. I guarantee you, when you put out a tray of hot sausage rolls and a bowl of tomato sauce, they're be gone in less than five minutes. 


Men and boys in particular, love these and it's a great food for those parents here who like to hide vegetables.  I add carrot, onion and celery to mine and you'd never know it when they're cooked. They're a very devious party food. ;- )  I make most of my pasty but I never make puff pastry or filo pastry. These sausage rolls need two sheets of frozen puff pastry.

SAUSAGE ROLLS
1 kg/2.2 lbs finely minced beef, pork, lamb or chicken
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, grated
1 stick celery, finely diced
salt and pepper - you need good seasoning in this, don't be shy with the salt and pepper

2 sheets frozen puff pastry
egg wash - egg wash is an egg yolk or a whole egg mixed with a little water



  1. Turn on your oven to 220C/430F to preheat. Puff pastry gets its flaky texture when cold pastry goes into a very hot oven.
  2. Place two sheets of pastry on the bench and cut into two even pieces. Make sure the pastry remains cold. You want it defrosted but not at room temperature.
  3. Combine the meat and whatever finely diced vegetables you're using in a large bowl, add the seasoning. 
  4. Mix well and when it's thoroughly combined run the meat mixture in a narrow sausage along the middle of the pastry. (See photo above.)
  5. Brush the side of the pastry with egg wash to help the pastry seal.
  6. Roll up the sausage roll in a long log shape, make sure it seals along the edges where the pastry meets.
  7. With a pastry brush, brush egg wash over the top of the rolls.
  8. Cut the rolls into the size you need them to be.
  9. Make three small slashes in the top of every sausage roll.
  10. Place on a baking tray, not touching, and place into the hot oven. 
  11. After five minutes, turn the heat down to 180C/355F and cook until golden brown.
  12. Cool on a rack for a couple of minutes before serving.

In addition to hiding the vegies in these rolls, you can also modify them if you're serving a large tray of them at a party. Divide your ingredients up and make three different batches.  Do one according to the recipe above, add one level teaspoon of cayenne pepper OR one finely diced green chilli to batch number two and one level tablespoon of curry powder to batch three. Delicious! Be prepared for a couple of your guests to ask for the recipe. I hope you enjoy them.

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22 comments

  1. I love homemade sausage rolls - my Mum makes loads at Christmas. But the shop-bought ones never taste quite right. I think it is the reheated pastry. She has been making them with special sausage meat supplied from the same butcher for about 30 odd years!

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  2. Thank you for the pizza and sausage roll recipes. They look great, and my children will love making the sausage rolls with me - they look fun to make, and there's zero packaging - lovely!

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  3. My husband and daughter both love sausage rolls. I love extra veggies too. I also like rolls with spinach and fetta or ricotta. Pizza is another popular one- anything that can be eaten with the hands really! Pizza is also great for kids as they love to get involved in adding the toppings and rolling out the dough. A couple of good easy meals to add into regular rotation!

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  4. Rhonda, I am sitting here freezing and those hot sausage rolls look very inviting. I think I will make some pizza this week as it is not something I usually make so I will give it a try. Even though I have heaps of recipe books I still tend to serve up the same meals. LOL!

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  5. What a great idea for the pizza dough!

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  6. Hi Rhonda, The sausage rolls look great. I tried making my own flaky pastry from a recipe by Delia Smith and it worked quite well. For days when I have less time, the frozen pastry is a great standby. Do you have any special brand you buy? I'm not sure the ingredients in the most popular brand are ideal. Thanks, deb

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    1. Hi Deb. I buy Australian (any brand) butter puff.

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  7. I love trying new recipes and these look simple enough to make on a busy night with some thinking ahead. Thank you for sharing.

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  8. oh I love homemade sausage rolls! they are so much nicer than the bought ones :)

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  9. Friday night is pizza night at my house. We all snuggle down in front of the TV eating pizza and watching a family movie. It's special for us because we have a strict 'no TV during dinner' policy. I have been using pitta bread as the base for the pizzas but since I have been making my own bread this year, I have been thinking of making pizza dough. It looks like the time is right :).

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  10. You're making me hungry Rhonda. The pictures of the sausage rolls, reminded me that I haven't cooked those in ages and my guys do love them, so they will be on the menu over the next couple of days.
    Blessings Gail

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  11. Another good veg to smuggle into sausage rolls is zucchini/courgette, especially during the late summer glut of them. Just grate your zuks, then squeeze as much liquid out if them as you can (don't waste the juice - drink it or add it to a smoothie).

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  12. What a lovely update Rhonda I just getting back into baking again and next time I have to make some thing for the local W I I might try your pizza dough and sausage recipe many thanks for sharing

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  13. This looks yummy! I'm going to try the sausage rolls. Thanks for this post :)

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  14. Gorgeous new photo Rhonda. Great idea saving some bread dough from the daily loaf. Thanks.

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  15. Two pastry sheets--do you mean one on top of the other to make it a double thickness? Or is it two thin sheets side by side?

    Alice

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  16. Rhonda could you post your recipe for Oven Baked Frittata please? There was a photo of it in a recent post.

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  17. Great recipes Rhonda. Pizza and sausage rolls are such great family meals and you can use what you have in the fridge or pantry. I'll have to try your sausage roll recipe btw. Thank you. I've been finding it hard to get started early in the day to make pizza bases so this winter I've been making the yoghurt pizza dough - one cup self raising and one cup yoghurt. I can do this later in the afternoon and still provide made from scratch healthy pizza's. It has saved me as I can't eat preservatives because I get terrible hives. A blessing in disguise I think:)

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  18. Can you freeze these? Being single this is way to many (even recipe halved) to eat...if I could freeze them it would make a quick easy lunch or supper.

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    1. Yes Pea, they're easily frozen.

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    2. Are they better to freeze before or after cooking? I'm making a half batch now and will freeze the leftover.

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