B85 Beef Sausage Rolls

Inspired by the gigantic beef sausage rolls at B85 Artisan Bakery in Camden, Sydney, these are meaty and juicy and cheesy. Everything you dream a mighty sausage roll to be! RTM‘s Chef Stephen put it best: I’m gonna maul these. 😂

Finally, epic beef sausage rolls – in Camden of all places!

I’ve always liked the idea of beef sausage rolls, but the reality never quite lived up to it. They’d just taste like meatloaf in puff pastry or were disappointingly dry – probably why classic sausage rolls are made with pork which is naturally softer and juicier than beef.

But that all changed the day I spotted the beef sausage rolls at B85 Artisan Bakery, a charming little artisan bakery tucked away in Camden, a semi-rural suburb on the outskirts of Sydney. A hidden gem loved by locals, they offer baked goods that rival trendy bakeries popping up all over inner Sydney – from sourdough to focaccia, pastries to croissants.

But those beef sausage rolls. Oh my. First – they’re BIG. Generous amount of filling with layers upon layers of puff pastry. And then there’s the flavour: cheese and jalapeño. Genius. The cheesy hit makes the filling outrageously moreish, while the little bits of jalapeño add a wee bit of barely-there-spiciness that cuts right through the richness and adds enough interest so you know you are not eating meatloaf.

But my favourite part? The cheesy, crusted ends where the beefy filling oozes out. I want to bite the ends off all of them!

And, well, you know where this conversation is headed. Yup, you guessed it – I went home and recreated my own version. 🙂

And this is RTM‘s Chef Stephen mauling one (I know, he’s got a way with words, don’t he? 😂).

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Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make these statement jumbo sausage rolls. A beef stock cube (better than salt!), parmesan, cheese and juicy box-grater shredded onion are my flavour secret weapons here that pushes the savouriness of the filling into OMG territory!

Cheese jalapeño beef filling

Filling

• Onion – A whole peeled brown onion, grated to keep the pieces fine enough to cook through without sautéing separately. Plus, the onion juices add extra flavour and make the filling extra juicy. Tried and loved technique I regularly use for family favourites like meatloaf and Italian meatballs!

• Panko breadcrumbs – larger crumbs than regular breadcrumbs = softer filling. 🙂 Find them at regular grocery stores these days (Asian section) though they’re cheaper in Asian stores!

• Beef mince (ground beef) – the fattier the better! Juicier and better beef flavour – because fat is where all the flavour is.

• Beef stock cube – Better flavour than salt! This is one of the flavour secrets here. I like OXO brand because it crumbles effortlessly into powder. You could also use 1 teaspoon of powder (the jar type).

• Cheddar cheese – Like the B85 OG, I use cheddar cheese though honestly, any shreddable cheese that melts will be great here, except I don’t recommend mozzarella (not enough flavour or salt) or parmesan/pecorino and similar (next ingredient). PS Pre shredded cheese is ok here! 🙌🏻

• Parmesan cheese – I sneak in a bit for a flavour boost which does make it a little OTT on the savouriness scale!! So, you will totally survive without it, I promise. 🙂

• Pickled jalapeno – See rave above for this is so good! Find it in the pickle aisle ($3/500g). Note though, I am not sure B85 uses pickled jalapeño, it could be fresh. I like using pickled for convenience, because it’s softer (so melds better), milder and also for the tang which is welcome in this otherwise rather rich filling.

• Salt and pepper – We need a little extra salt on top of the stock cube.

• Egg – For binding the mixture. Without, it will crumble apart.

• Garlic – Because I couldn’t stop adding flavour.

For the puff PASTRY

• Frozen puff pastry – butter is better! It tastes better (butter!) and puffs better and flakes better. The packet will say “BUTTER Puff Pastry”. If it’s silent, it means it is made with oil which doesn’t have as much flavour. (Or, check ingredients).

  You will need 2 sheets. The standard Australian size is 24cm squares (9.5″). Use it semi-frozen still when it’s just pliable enough to wrap around the filling, it is much easier to handle and also easier to cut in half.

  Note: The puff pastry in the photo above and video is not butter puff pastry which is more yellowy. I accidentally bought a stack of non-butter puff pastry and I have to use it up.

• Egg, separated – We use the white part for sealing the pastry and the yolk for brushing to make it bake a beautiful deep golden brown, and also to make the sesame seeds stick.

• Sesame seeds – Like B85, I like to use white and black sesame seeds. But you won’t be arrested if you just use one or the other, or go naked! (ie no sesame seeds).

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How to make B85 Beef Sausage Rolls

This base recipe makes 4 jumbo sausage rolls like the ones sold at B85. Or, you can make 8 regular size ones or 16 party sausage rolls.

1. Onion juice soaked panko – Grate onion into a bowl using a box grater. Keep all the juices – it’s the best bit! Makes the filling extra juicy and tasty. Then mix in panko so it soaks up the juices (softens, puffs when cooked = softer filling).

2. Everything but cheese – Then add all the other filling ingredients except the shredded cheese and mix it well with your hands. Get right in there and squeeze/squish until it’s combined well.

3. Crumble in cheese – Add the cheese then use your fingers to kind of “crumble” it through the mixture before mixing firmly with hands. Reason: If you don’t disperse first, then the shredded cheese gets squeezed into wads rather than mixed evenly throughout.

4. Logs – Take the 2 puff pastry sheets out of the freezer. Then divide the filling into two equal portions and shape into a log on the pastry.

   Party sausage rolls – make 4 equal logs by cutting each sheet in half, then cut each log into 4 to make 16 pieces in total.

5. Roll to enclose the pastry with the filling, finishing with a double layer on the base sealed with egg white. Trim off the excess – about 2cm / 0.8″.

   Tip: paint off cuts with egg white, sprinkle with salt and lots of parmesan, bake 20 minutes = parmesan sticks!

6. Finish – Cut each log in half to make 4 big sausage rolls in total. Paint with egg yolk, sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

7. Bake part 1 – Bake for 35 minutes in a hot 200°C/425°F (180C fan-forced). This slightly higher oven temperature makes the puff pastry golden and crispy, while the inside cooks through without drying out.

8. Elevate on rack – Then, working quickly, transfer the sausage rolls to a rack and bake for a further 15 minutes until they are very golden.

   The rack transference step is to elevate the base out of the juices that comes out of the beef so it can become crispy. It will never be ultra crispy because the filling is ultra juicy, but it’s not floppy, soggy and undercooked like too many sausage rolls are.

   Party sausage rolls – Bake 30 minutes on the tray, then 10 minutes on a rack at the same temperature.

Give them 5 minutes to cool a bit so you don’t give yourself 3rd degree burns. Then it’s game on – grab the biggest one for yourself!

The above are B85 jumbo size (makes 4). Here are party sausage roll size (makes 16), directions are in the recipe cards for these (slightly shorter bake time).

And proof of juicy insides:

Sausage roll etiquette 101

If you ever bring a knife and fork near my sausage rolls, they’ll be confiscated! These Aussie legends must be eaten with hands, with Aussie tomato sauce (ketchup also acceptable).

And if you’ve got golden flaky pastry shards all down your top, in your lap, in your hair and a ring of them surrounding your chair, that’s how you know you’ve eaten it right.

I hope you get a chance to try these! While perhaps not an exact replica of the B85 Jalapeño Cheese Beef Sausage Rolls (their flaky pastry alone is far superior to store bought), I think it captures the moreishness that makes them so unique and so memorable.

And it’s just downright tasty. So, so good! – Nagi x

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Watch how to make it

Life of Dozer

The Australian Book Industry Awards took place the night before last. Because it was in Melbourne, Dozer wasn’t able to attend so he sent me to accept the award on his behalf. Cookbook of the year!

Of course I wanted to show you a sweet photo of me showing the trophy to Mr D. But truthfully, all he cared about was the cabanossi hiding in my hand. 😂