Cheesy Sausage Rolls

I was craving Auntie Anne’s jumbo sausage rolls the other day, so I felt inspired to make cheesy sausage rolls.

The Thought Process

I wanted the bread rolls to be soft and buttery, so I used my roti paung recipe as a base. Here I purposely made them a bit more “junky”, using cheapo Ramly sausages and Chesdale processed cheese slices. However, we can always kick it up a notch and use premium sausages and real cheddar slices if we so choose.

I air-fried the sausages instead of just boiling them, because I like them browned. Air frying allows me to walk away and do other tasks while they cook, but in the absence of an air fryer, pan frying in a skillet would be my cooking method of choice.

Splitting the dough into 10 portions felt a tad too big for each roll. I think dividing into 12 portions would result in a more balanced bread-to-filling ratio, but for this batch I only had 10 hot dogs on hand, so I just went ahead as is. This recipe has been adjusted to better suit 10 sausage rolls.

I tried shaping the rolls similar to the once-viral wool roll bread by Apron, which I think worked pretty nicely. I glazed them with egg before baking, then with sugar syrup after baking, Asian bakery style. In retrospect I think a salted butter glaze and topping with parmesan cheese might work a bit better. I’ll update this recipe accordingly if I ever try that variation.

These cheesy sausage rolls were so darn good. The bread was super soft, and the melty cheese combined with the sausage was simply comforting. Do try out this recipe; you might end up making these again and again.

Step by Step

Making the Dough

In a bowl of your stand mixer, add the milk, egg, butter, and sugar.

Add the flour, yeast, and sugar.

Transfer the bowl to your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and mix at the lowest speed, until the dough just comes together, 1 to 2 minutes.

Increase the speed one step up and knead, until the dough pulls away from the bowl and is smooth and elastic, 15 to 18 minutes. The dough should pass the windowpane test at this point.

Transfer to a lightly greased or dusted surface, and shape into a tight ball.

Place in a well-oiled bowl. Cover and let rest, until doubled in size, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. If using a bread machine, add all the ingredients according to the recommended sequence by the manufacturer, and run the Dough Cycle until completed. Since bulk rising is dependent on the ambient temperature and humidity, I usually proof my dough in my oven with just the lamp on for a bit more consistency.

Prepping the Sausages

While the dough is resting, prepare the sausages. Cut a shallow slit along the length of each sausage. The purpose of this slit is to prevent the sausages from shriveling once cooled.  Don’t cut deeper than 1/4 inch, else the sausages might split open too much after cooking.

Air-fry the sausages at 180 degrees C, until slightly browned, 6 minutes. Let cool before assembling.

Assembling the Cheesy Sausage Rolls

When the dough has doubled, punch down to let out the air, and divide into 12 equal-sized pieces.

Roll each piece of dough into a ball.

Roll a piece of dough into a 4- by 6-inch rectangle.

Cut 1.5-cm (1/2-inch) wide strips along two thirds the length of the rectangle.

Wrap a slice of cheese tightly around a piece of sausage.

Wrap the bottom third of the dough rectangle fully around the sausage, then roll upwards. Wrapping the dough completely around the cheese and sausage prevents the melted cheese from leaking out.

Arrange the rolls seam-side down in a large baking tray, leaving enough room in between. Cover and let rest, until doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes.

Baking

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees C (fan 160 degrees C).

Make the egg wash. In a small bowl, mix the egg with 1 tablespoon water.

When the rolls have doubled, glaze with the egg wash.

Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan.

Bake in the oven, until golden brown, 20 minutes.

When the buns are done baking, brush with the melted butter.

Let cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!