Note:

This recipe can be mixed, the sausage shaped and added to the puff pastry, closed up, and baked immediately. Allowing time to refrigerate the sausage to chill blends the flavors and makes it easier to work with. Placing the shaped logs of puff pastry in the fridge or freezer for a little time allows the rolls to hold their shape better when baked and gives the best texture to the puff pastry.

Prepare the Sausage:

Add all the sausage ingredients to a food processor fitted with a steel blade and blend, pulsing now and then and pausing to scrape down as needed, for several minutes, until the sausage is smooth and very fine-textured.

Place in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to three days to firm up. Remove sausage and divide into two logs, each 8 1/2 ounces, and 12″ long. If very soft, they can be placed on a tray and refrigerated while the puff pastry is worked with.

Prepare the Puff Pastry:

Lightly flour rolling pin and place the puff pastry on a lightly floured counter or board. Roll one sheet of puff pastry out to 10 x 12″. Cut into 2 pieces, the long way; each piece will measure 5″ x 12″.

Prepare Egg Wash:

Mix egg yolk with a teaspoon water; set aside until needed.

To Assemble:

Take the two logs of sausage from the fridge and lay each down the center of the cut puff pastry. Smooth the sausage log and adjust the size if necessary.

Brush egg wash sparingly along one long edge of each piece of puff pastry. Enclose each sausage log by bringing each long side of puff pastry together and pinching to seal.

Place seam side down on a sheet tray (lined with parchment or foil if desired) and freeze for about 10 minutes or refrigerate for 30. Do not discard the egg wash.

To Finish:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Add a sheet tray to the oven.

Remove the logs from the freezer or fridge, lightly shape and/or smooth out the logs if needed. Lightly brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with the Sesame Seeds and Salt. Cut each log into 8ths.

• This is best done by lining up both logs, cutting them in half, then cutting each half in half, and finally, cutting each of those pieces in half. This results in 16 pieces, each about 1 1/2″ wide. Place a small slit in the center top of each piece.
• For best results, use a serrated knife when cutting/slicing. The knife may have to be cleaned off between cuts if the sausage sticks to it. Trim the outside edges of the rolls if needed.

Remove the hot sheet tray from the oven. Place each piece of sausage roll seam side down, spread out on the sheet tray, and gently nudge the top of each roll with a finger to slightly flatten the bottom so they will stand. If they fall over during baking, no worries.

Bake about 25 to 30 minutes until the pastry is deep golden brown, and the sausage is cooked through. Remove from sheet tray immediately so bottoms are not sitting in the juices/oils, and so they don’t lose their crispness; if the bottom seems wet, turn them on a side. They should firm up in a minute or two.

Serve as is or with your favorite dipping sauces.