A previous post gave a recipe for Gluten-free sausage rolls using Buckwheat. Due to its known possibility of cross-contamination with gluten flours at producing mills it is no-longer in favour for gluten-free use. So, a new recipe is presented.
The practice of wrapping meat in dough, as a delicate cuisine, can be traced back to Greek and Roman eras. Early versions of pork filled sausage rolls were popular in London during the Napoleonic Wars. The practice of surrounding meat in pastry is credited to France in the 19th Century, when the surrounding pastry was in the form of flaky/puff pastry (croissant type pastry dough). Later, in the 19th Century sausage rolls were made using shortcrust pastry instead of puff pastry.
Often considered as Christmas or party food, they are a handy snack for use during the rest of the year (high protein and low carbohydrate).
Ingredients:
Pastry mix
Gluten-free pastry flour mix* 370g
Gum Arabic 2tsp
Salt 1/4tsp
Sugar 55g
Butter 205g (softened, room temp, cut in pieces)
Apple Cider Vinegar 1 1/2tsp (7ml)
Egg (slightly beaten) 100g (approx. 2 extra large – if necessary, add from another egg to make up weight)
Water (cold, if required) 5 – 10ml (1 – 2tsp)
*Gluten-free pastry flour mix
Brown rice flour 390g, Sweet rice flour 150g, Potato starch 35g, Tapioca starch 115g, Arrowroot powder 70g: Total weight 760g
Filling –sausage meat
800g ground/minced meat and herbs/spices**
Method:
Pastry
Sift flour, add Gum Arabic and mix thoroughly in a bowl.
In a mixer bowl cream butter and salt, at a medium speed for ½ – 1min
Scrape down sides and bottom of mixer bowl; add sugar and combine at low speed for ½ - 1min.
Add 50g flour, and combine at low speed.
Add Apple cider vinegar; gradually add slightly beaten eggs, and then 50g flour, beating at a low speed until the mixture comes together.
Gradually add rest of the flour, occasionally stopping the machine to scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl, restart and mix until the dough comes together (and if necessary, add 1 – 2tsp water, and allow time to combine) – it will look bitty, yet will look shiny when handled and pressed together.
Lay a piece of cling film/plastic wrap on a pastry board, place the dough on top of it, press into a ½in (13mm) thick rectangle, cut into three portions (for ease of handling later) and cover each portion with cling film/plastic wrap.
Chill pastry dough in a refrigerator for 30mins minimum, or even overnight (it makes the pastry less elastic and easier to roll), or even overnight (if chilling overnight, when you take the dough out the next day, and before you begin to roll it, tap it a few times with the rolling pin, to begin to loosen it up). The pastry dough will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, or in the freezer for 2 months (if you have frozen it, when you want to use it, take it out and let it rest for 1 hr to come to room temperature).
Sausage meat variations to use as filling:
**Pork
600g ground/minced pork
1tsp salt
1/2tsp thyme
1tsp sage (as it’s sausage – LK-J)
1/2tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2tsp ground garlic powder
1tsp summer savory
1/2tsp marjoram
**Lamb
600g ground/minced lamb
1tsp salt
1tsp mint
1tsp rosemary
1/2tsp garlic
1/2tsp freshly ground black pepper
1tsp sage
(Optional: lemon zest and chopped olives, and lard if there is insufficient fat in the meat)
**Chicken/Turkey mince and bacon
600g ground/minced chicken/turkey mince and chopped streaky bacon
1tsp salt
1tsp tarragon
1/2tsp garlic
1/2tsp freshly ground black pepper
1tsp sage
(Optional: 1tbsp apple sauce and 1tsp mustard powder, and lard if there is insufficient fat in the meat)
**Bratwurst flavour mix
600g ground/minced pork
1tsp salt
1tsp marjoram
1/2tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2tsp ground ginger
1/2tsp nutmeg
1tsp sage
**And, a Christmas mix
600g ground/minced turkey
1tsp salt
1tbsp apple sauce
1/2tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2tsp ground cinnamon
1/2tsp ground cloves
1/2tsp ground nutmeg
1tsp sage
**Or an alternative Christmas mix using pork sausage (the most popular)
800g ground/minced pork
1 1/2tsp salt
3/4tsp thyme
1 1/2tsp sage
1 1/2tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4tsp cinnamon
3/4tsp ground cloves
3/4tsp nutmeg
3/4tsp marjoram
Whilst waiting for the pastry to finish resting, mix the ground/minced meat with the herbs and spices, and make into three balls. Lightly flour a chopping board or work surface, and roll each of the three balls into a long cylinder, sausage shape, approximately 1in (25mm) diameter (maximum), or to your preferred thickness. Cut into 2in (50mm) lengths (although the length is up to you – commercial lengths in the UK are often 6in (150mm) long.
Making the rolls:
Wrap a pastry board with parchment paper, dust evenly and lightly with flour, along with dusting the rolling pin.
Remove one portion of the pastry dough from the fridge and knead the it a little with the heel of the hand to soften it up.
Roll the pastry dough three times in one direction, evenly, gently and briskly (i.e., confidently); rotate the pastry a ¼ turn (ensuring that the pastry is not stuck to the board (if it is it means that you are pressing too hard), lift with a spatula and re-flour if necessary); and repeat; and repeat the pastry with light, gentle, even pressure. After each roll turn the pastry a quarter turn until you get the desired size, a rectangle approximately 4 3/4in (120mm) wide, and a thickness of about 3/16in (4mm).
Cut off the excess and reuse until it is used up; the width is calculated to be a loose fit around the sausage meat roll.
Transfer one of the cut sausage meat lengths to the rolled pastry, starting at one edge. Cut the long length of the pastry to the length of the sausage. Remove this cut pastry and sausage meat. Brush (approx. 1/4in (5mm) width) the short side closest to you with the egg wash (beaten egg mix, or just water). Use the roll of sausage as a guide to help ease the pastry round the sausage meat without it cracking. Turn the rolled end round slightly and press to seal (finger pressure) on top of the egg washed area.
Cut the top of the pastry with two or three slots using the blade of a knife, and brush with the egg wash (browns the top – optional).
Repeat with the other lengths of sausage meat until this portion of pastry is used up, and then repeat with the other portions of pastry.
Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C / Gas Mk 6.
Place all the sausage rolls on a baking sheet and bake for 18 mins.
Remove and cool on a wire rack, and then store in an airtight tin.
You can eat them either cold or warm. They freeze well too.
Photo below:
The practice of wrapping meat in dough, as a delicate cuisine, can be traced back to Greek and Roman eras. Early versions of pork filled sausage rolls were popular in London during the Napoleonic Wars. The practice of surrounding meat in pastry is credited to France in the 19th Century, when the surrounding pastry was in the form of flaky/puff pastry (croissant type pastry dough). Later, in the 19th Century sausage rolls were made using shortcrust pastry instead of puff pastry.
Often considered as Christmas or party food, they are a handy snack for use during the rest of the year (high protein and low carbohydrate).
Ingredients:
Pastry mix
Gluten-free pastry flour mix* 370g
Gum Arabic 2tsp
Salt 1/4tsp
Sugar 55g
Butter 205g (softened, room temp, cut in pieces)
Apple Cider Vinegar 1 1/2tsp (7ml)
Egg (slightly beaten) 100g (approx. 2 extra large – if necessary, add from another egg to make up weight)
Water (cold, if required) 5 – 10ml (1 – 2tsp)
*Gluten-free pastry flour mix
Brown rice flour 390g, Sweet rice flour 150g, Potato starch 35g, Tapioca starch 115g, Arrowroot powder 70g: Total weight 760g
Filling –sausage meat
800g ground/minced meat and herbs/spices**
Method:
Pastry
Sift flour, add Gum Arabic and mix thoroughly in a bowl.
In a mixer bowl cream butter and salt, at a medium speed for ½ – 1min
Scrape down sides and bottom of mixer bowl; add sugar and combine at low speed for ½ - 1min.
Add 50g flour, and combine at low speed.
Add Apple cider vinegar; gradually add slightly beaten eggs, and then 50g flour, beating at a low speed until the mixture comes together.
Gradually add rest of the flour, occasionally stopping the machine to scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl, restart and mix until the dough comes together (and if necessary, add 1 – 2tsp water, and allow time to combine) – it will look bitty, yet will look shiny when handled and pressed together.
Lay a piece of cling film/plastic wrap on a pastry board, place the dough on top of it, press into a ½in (13mm) thick rectangle, cut into three portions (for ease of handling later) and cover each portion with cling film/plastic wrap.
Chill pastry dough in a refrigerator for 30mins minimum, or even overnight (it makes the pastry less elastic and easier to roll), or even overnight (if chilling overnight, when you take the dough out the next day, and before you begin to roll it, tap it a few times with the rolling pin, to begin to loosen it up). The pastry dough will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, or in the freezer for 2 months (if you have frozen it, when you want to use it, take it out and let it rest for 1 hr to come to room temperature).
Sausage meat variations to use as filling:
**Pork
600g ground/minced pork
1tsp salt
1/2tsp thyme
1tsp sage (as it’s sausage – LK-J)
1/2tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2tsp ground garlic powder
1tsp summer savory
1/2tsp marjoram
**Lamb
600g ground/minced lamb
1tsp salt
1tsp mint
1tsp rosemary
1/2tsp garlic
1/2tsp freshly ground black pepper
1tsp sage
(Optional: lemon zest and chopped olives, and lard if there is insufficient fat in the meat)
**Chicken/Turkey mince and bacon
600g ground/minced chicken/turkey mince and chopped streaky bacon
1tsp salt
1tsp tarragon
1/2tsp garlic
1/2tsp freshly ground black pepper
1tsp sage
(Optional: 1tbsp apple sauce and 1tsp mustard powder, and lard if there is insufficient fat in the meat)
**Bratwurst flavour mix
600g ground/minced pork
1tsp salt
1tsp marjoram
1/2tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2tsp ground ginger
1/2tsp nutmeg
1tsp sage
**And, a Christmas mix
600g ground/minced turkey
1tsp salt
1tbsp apple sauce
1/2tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2tsp ground cinnamon
1/2tsp ground cloves
1/2tsp ground nutmeg
1tsp sage
**Or an alternative Christmas mix using pork sausage (the most popular)
800g ground/minced pork
1 1/2tsp salt
3/4tsp thyme
1 1/2tsp sage
1 1/2tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4tsp cinnamon
3/4tsp ground cloves
3/4tsp nutmeg
3/4tsp marjoram
Whilst waiting for the pastry to finish resting, mix the ground/minced meat with the herbs and spices, and make into three balls. Lightly flour a chopping board or work surface, and roll each of the three balls into a long cylinder, sausage shape, approximately 1in (25mm) diameter (maximum), or to your preferred thickness. Cut into 2in (50mm) lengths (although the length is up to you – commercial lengths in the UK are often 6in (150mm) long.
Making the rolls:
Wrap a pastry board with parchment paper, dust evenly and lightly with flour, along with dusting the rolling pin.
Remove one portion of the pastry dough from the fridge and knead the it a little with the heel of the hand to soften it up.
Roll the pastry dough three times in one direction, evenly, gently and briskly (i.e., confidently); rotate the pastry a ¼ turn (ensuring that the pastry is not stuck to the board (if it is it means that you are pressing too hard), lift with a spatula and re-flour if necessary); and repeat; and repeat the pastry with light, gentle, even pressure. After each roll turn the pastry a quarter turn until you get the desired size, a rectangle approximately 4 3/4in (120mm) wide, and a thickness of about 3/16in (4mm).
Cut off the excess and reuse until it is used up; the width is calculated to be a loose fit around the sausage meat roll.
Transfer one of the cut sausage meat lengths to the rolled pastry, starting at one edge. Cut the long length of the pastry to the length of the sausage. Remove this cut pastry and sausage meat. Brush (approx. 1/4in (5mm) width) the short side closest to you with the egg wash (beaten egg mix, or just water). Use the roll of sausage as a guide to help ease the pastry round the sausage meat without it cracking. Turn the rolled end round slightly and press to seal (finger pressure) on top of the egg washed area.
Cut the top of the pastry with two or three slots using the blade of a knife, and brush with the egg wash (browns the top – optional).
Repeat with the other lengths of sausage meat until this portion of pastry is used up, and then repeat with the other portions of pastry.
Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C / Gas Mk 6.
Place all the sausage rolls on a baking sheet and bake for 18 mins.
Remove and cool on a wire rack, and then store in an airtight tin.
You can eat them either cold or warm. They freeze well too.
Photo below: