Bonfire Night sausage rolls
Crispy, golden puff pastry filled with seasoned pork sausagemeat — perfect bite-sized sausage rolls for Bonfire Night parties.
These Bonfire Night sausage rolls are the pub-style nibbles everyone fights over at a fireworks party — crisp, buttery puff pastry wrapped around seasoned pork sausagemeat. They’re quick to make in batches and freeze brilliantly, so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time by the bonfire.
Make them bite-sized for grazing, or leave them larger for a proper plate of comfort food. The little extras — Worcestershire sauce and English mustard — give the filling a proper savoury lift.
Ingredients
- 500 g puff pastry
- 500 g pork sausagemeat
- 1 brown onion — medium, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove — finely chopped or grated
- 15 ml rapeseed oil
- 10 ml fresh thyme — leaves only
- 15 ml Worcestershire sauce
- 15 ml English mustard — grainy or smooth
- 5 ml sea salt
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
- 10 g plain flour — for dusting
- 1 egg — beaten
- 15 ml milk — to loosen the egg for glaze
- 15 ml sesame seeds — optional, for scattering
Equipment
- baking tray
- baking paper
- pastry brush
- frying pan
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Heat the rapeseed oil in a frying pan over a medium hob. Add the brown onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes.
Transfer the cooked onion and garlic to a large mixing bowl. Add the pork sausagemeat, fresh thyme, Worcestershire sauce, English mustard, sea salt and black pepper. Mix gently with a spoon or clean hands until just combined — do not overwork or the mixture will become dense.
Lightly dust your work surface with the plain flour. Unroll or lay out the puff pastry and, if it’s one large sheet, cut it into 24 even strips (two long rectangles cut into 12 strips each) roughly 3–4 cm wide. If using two sheets, divide each sheet into 12 strips.
Shape the sausagemeat into 24 thin sausages (or roll it into two long logs and slice later). Place a sausage-length portion along the centre of each pastry strip. Brush one long edge of the pastry with a little beaten egg, then roll the pastry over the filling to enclose it and press to seal. Place each roll seam-side down on the prepared baking tray.
Cut each long roll into 24 individual bite-sized sausage rolls (or leave whole if you prefer larger ones). Mix the beaten egg with the milk and brush over the tops. Scatter with sesame seeds if using.
Chill the shaped sausage rolls in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm the pastry and help prevent them shrinking in the oven.
Bake on the middle shelf for 20–25 minutes at 200°C fan/220°C conventional until the pastry is puffed and golden and the filling is cooked through.
Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes on the tray before serving — this helps the filling set so the rolls cut cleanly.
Tips
- Make the filling a day ahead and keep it chilled — it firms up and is easier to shape.
- If pastry softens while you work, return it to the fridge for 10–15 minutes rather than over-handling it.
- For tidy, even pieces, roll the filling into two long logs, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes before slicing.
- To freeze: arrange unbaked sausage rolls on a tray, freeze until solid, then bag. Bake from frozen, adding about 8–12 minutes to the baking time.
- If you don’t like sesame seeds, poppy seeds or flaky sea salt both work well as alternatives.
Substitutions
pork sausagemeat → beef sausagemeat or a 50:50 pork-and-beef mix, same quantity
Stays closepuff pastry → shortcrust pastry, same weight
Noticeably differentWorcestershire sauce → HP sauce, same quantity
Stays closesesame seeds → poppy seeds or flaky sea salt, same quantity
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 645
- Calories
- 15 g
- Protein
- 37 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make these ahead?
Yes — shape them and chill for up to 24 hours, or freeze unbaked on a tray then bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding about 8–12 minutes.
Can I use sausage meat from sausages?
Yes — remove the skins and use the same weight of meat. Taste and adjust seasoning if the sausages are already heavily seasoned.
How do I know when they’re cooked through?
The pastry should be puffed and deep golden. If you’re unsure, cut one open — the filling should be hot throughout and no longer pink.
Can I make larger rolls instead of bite-size?
Absolutely. If you leave them larger, increase baking time by 6–10 minutes and check the filling is piping hot before serving.
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