This sausage plait is pure comfort food. Sausage meat and veg encased in delicious warm flaky pastry It can also be chopped up and eaten cold on a summers day picnic. Dairy, egg and gluten free options available.
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This retro classic takes me right back to my school days. We had a project in Home Economics to create a pastry dish and sausage plait is what I chose. I don’t know why, but it is the only dish that stays in my mind from school cooking days. (Apart from the soup I cooked but then dropped all over the pavement on the way home!)
I loved it then and still love it to this day. This is so much more than a giant sausage roll! In my mind, there is nothing better than hot flaky, crispy pastry wrapped around flavourful sausage meat especially with some tomato sauce!
I have added some hidden veg to this recipe, which is great for fussy eaters. Read onto the ingredients and substitution section below to find out how you can easily adapt this dish to be dairy, egg and gluten free.
For more puff pastry recipes, why not take a look at my puff pastry pizza and gluten free ham pinwheels too.
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🥘 Ingredients Needed & Substitutions
- Just Rol Puff Pastry Sheet - You could make your own pastry, but life is too short! Just Rol do a great puff pastry sheet. To make the recipe gluten free just use the Just Rol gluten free puff pastry.
- Sausages - I love Heck sausages as they are gluten free and taste great. If you are following a gluten free diet, be sure to check the packaging as some cheaper sausages contain wheat as it is used as a filler.
- Carrot - This is grated and mixed into the sausage meat. A great way to sneak veg into the kids!
- Red Pepper - Grilled until soft, this adds a delicious sweetness to the dish.
- Tomato Puree - Mixed into the sausage meat for added flavour.
- Dried Thyme - Adds an earthy undertone.
- Egg - Used as an egg wash to give the pastry a golden, crispy finish. For an egg free version, simply use regular or plant based milk instead.
- Salt & Pepper - You may want to omit the salt if cooking for small children.
Scroll to the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities
✋ Be sure to double check all packaging for allergens. ✋
✏️ How to Make A Sausage Plait
Take the pastry out of the fridge and un-roll at least 15 minutes before using to bring it to room temperature. This makes it easier to work with.
Slice the pepper into two segments lengthways and place skin side up under a hot grill for 15 minutes until the segments start to soften and the skin goes black. Leave to cool.
Whilst the peppers are grilling, skin the sausages. I find the easiest way to do this is score down one side of the sausage with a knife and then peel back the skin.
Next, once the peppers are cool, peel off their skin (it should come off really easily) and chop the pepper into small pieces.
Grate the carrot using a box grater. You don’t need to peel the carrots just give the skin a good scrub with a scourer. A lot of the goodness is found in the skin!
Put the sausage meat into a bowl with the grated carrot, chopped red pepper, thyme, tomato puree and seasoning. Mix well with your hands until all the ingredients are combined.
Place the sausage meat mixture down the centre of the pastry, leaving a gap at the top and bottom.
Cut 1.5 cm strips at a 45 degree angle into the pastry down each side of the sausage mixture.
Alternate laying the strips over the pastry, then fold in the top and bottom, cutting any excess pastry from the sides.
Brush the pastry with an egg wash (heated egg) or dairy free milk to glaze.
Bake in a hot oven on a baking tray until golden brown and the sausage meat is cooked through.
💡 Tips & Tricks
Make sure the oven is pre-heated so that the plait cooks evenly. Turn the oven on before you start prepping the ingredients.
I use a big spatula to help lift the sausage plait on and off the baking tray.
🔪 Equipment Used
⚡ Variations
- Mix it up! - This recipe is so versatile. Why not try adding a couple of tablespoons of onion chutney to the sausage mixture or fry some fresh onions in a pan with some oil and mix these through the mixture for a delicious sausage and onion plait.
- Sausages - You can adapt the flavour of the plait by using different sausages. Pork and leek, Lincolnshire, Cumberland the choice is yours!
- Vegan - This recipe can easily be adapted to be vegan by using vegan sausages and a dairy free milk as a milk wash to coat the pastry.
🍴 Serving Suggestions
This sausage plait is delicious eaten hot or cold.
When you are in need of comfort food serve hot with baked beans or mash potato and vegetables like these roasted carrots & green beans.
If you make the vegan version this would be great to serve as part of a Christmas dinner. Speaking of holidays, slice this up and serve as part of a Thanksgiving or Christmas buffet.
It is also a great lunch on a summers days, hot or cold served with my vegan coleslaw.
You can even chop it up and put in the kid’s school lunch boxes or take with you on a picnic.
💬 Recipe FAQ's
Yes. It is best reheated in the oven on 180 degree / gas mark 4 for at least 20 minutes until piping hot throughout. You can place foil over the top to stop the pastry browning too much.
If re-heated in the microwave it will make the pastry go soggy, so I wouldn’t recommend this.
You can freeze the plait uncooked for up to 3 months. Assemble but don’t egg wash and wrap in clingfilm or put in an airtight container. Defrost in the fridge overnight, when ready to eat, egg wash the top of the pastry and bake as per the recipe card.
💫 Love this recipe? It would be great if you could leave a 5 ⭐ rating and comment below! Thanks x 💫
Sausage Plait
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Sheet gluten free puff pastry I used Just Rol for this recipe
- 6 Gluten free sausages
- ½ Carrot Grated
- ½ Red Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Tomato puree
- 1 teaspoon Dried thyme
- 1 medium Egg for glazing. Alternative plant based milk can be used
- Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- Take the pastry out of the fridge 15 minutes before using.
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees/gas mark 4 and the grill to medium heat.
- Slice the pepper into two segments lengthways and grill, skin side up for 15 mins.
- Skin the sausages and put the sausage meat into a bowl with the grated carrot, dried thyme, tomato puree and seasoning. Discarding the sausage skin.
- Once cool peel the skin from the cooked peppers, then chop the segments into small pieces and add to the bowl with the other ingredients.
- Mix the ingredients together well.
- Place the sausage meat mixture down the centre of the pastry, leaving a gap at the top and bottom.
- Cut 1.5 cm strips at a 45 degree angle into the pastry down each side of the sausage mixture.
- Alternate laying the strips over the pastry, then fold in the top and bottom, cutting any excess pastry from the sides.
- Brush the pastry with egg or dairy free milk to glaze.
- Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and sausage meat is cooked through.
Julie
Followed recipe to the letter but cooked in air fryer @ 180 for 20-25 mins. Absolutely delicious 😋. And yes, I do think I cooked this in the 70’s Domestic Science class but never thought of it since until my sister-in-law produced one recently. We have so missed out but , rest assured, this is now a fam staple 😋☺️
Lauren Woodger
I really need to jump on the air fryer band wagon, they seem to be great for so many recipes! Glad you enjoyed the plait, it's one of our family favourites too, sometimes the classics are the best!