Paul Hollywood’s Sausage Plait

I grew up with sausage rolls in my dad’s bakery and they’re still probably my all-time number one food! This elaborate plaited version is a great way to show off your pastry skills. The sausagemeat is flavoured with roasted peppers, fennel seeds and chilli flakes, but you can leave out these extras and just use your favourite sausages – it’ll still taste amazing.
Cooking Time
80
Portions
10

Ingredients

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Pastry

  • g Puff Pastry
  •   Plain flour to dust

Filling

  •   tbsp Olive oil
  •   Onion, finely diced
  •   Garlic cloves, crushed or grated
  •   tsp Fennel seeds
  •   tsp Dried chilli flakes
  • g Good-quality Sausages
  • g Roasted Peppers

To finish

  •   Medium Egg, beaten to glaze
  •   A small handful of Poppy seeds

  • 1

    Step 1

    For the filling, heat the olive oil in a small frying pan, add the onion and cook over a medium-low heat for 7–10 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, fennel seeds and chilli flakes and sauté for another minute. Transfer to a medium bowl and leave to cool.
  • 2

    Step 2

    Peel away the skins from the sausages and then add the sausage meat to the cooled onion mix. Mix well with your hand until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
  • 3

    Step 3

    Heat your oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas 7. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
  • 4

    Step 4

    Drain the peppers, cut them lengthways to open them up and pat dry on kitchen paper.
  • 5

    Step 5

    On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to a 35 x 40cm rectangle. Arrange half of the roasted peppers down the centre of the pastry. Now form the sausage mix into a log that will cover the centre third of the pastry. Lay the sausage log on top of the peppers and then arrange the remaining peppers on top.
  • 6

    Step 6

    Using a small knife, make diagonal cuts in the pastry down either side of the sausage filling, spacing them 1.5–2cm apart. Fold the strips in over the filling alternately to create a plait and seal the ends.
  • 7

    Step 7

    Brush the pastry with beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake the plait in the oven for 35–45 minutes until crisp and piping hot. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before slicing. It is delicious hot or cold.

Ingredients

  • 500 g Puff Pastry
  • 1 Plain flour to dust
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 Onion, finely diced
  • 2 Garlic cloves, crushed or grated
  • 2 tsp Fennel seeds
  • 0.5 tsp Dried chilli flakes
  • 800 g Good-quality Sausages
  • 450 g Roasted Peppers
  • 1 Medium Egg, beaten to glaze
  • 2 A small handful of Poppy seeds