Equipment
Ingredients
Mushroom Filling
- 200 g cremini mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped
- 150 g oyster mushrooms, tough stems removed
- 150 g shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
- 30 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 g fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 30 g white miso paste
- 15 ml soy sauce
Binding & Assembly
- 60 g panko breadcrumbs
- 100 g sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 puff pastry sheets, thawed if frozen
- 1 egg wash
- 10 g sesame seeds
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 66 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 5 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 107 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 23 mg
- Potassium
- 113 mg
- Calcium
- 48 mg
- Iron
- 0.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 12 mg
- Phosphorus
- 49 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 24 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.04 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.08 mg
- Niacin
- 0.8 mg
- Folate
- 9 mcg
- Water
- 19 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
- Caffeine
- 0 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the cremini, oyster, and shiitake mushrooms in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until the mushrooms resemble ground meat or coarse gravel. Do not over-process into a paste.
Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the processed mushrooms and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and the pan is nearly dry. This step is critical for texture.
Stir in the miso paste, soy sauce, and fresh thyme. Cook for 1 more minute to activate the aromatics, then transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl to cool slightly (about 10 minutes).
Once the mushroom mixture is warm (not hot), fold in the breadcrumbs, grated cheddar, and the beaten binding egg. Mix until a cohesive, moldable dough forms. If too wet, add 10g more breadcrumbs.
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Lay out puff pastry sheets on a clean surface. Cut each square sheet in half to form two long rectangles.
Divide the filling into 4 equal parts. Shape each part into a long sausage log along the length of each pastry strip. Brush one long edge of the pastry with egg wash.
Roll the pastry over the filling, sealing it on the egg-washed edge. Place seam-side down. Cut each log into 6 smaller rolls. Score the tops diagonally with a sharp knife.
Place rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is puffed and deep golden brown.
Chef's Notes
- The secret to a 'meaty' vegetarian roll is the differing textures of mushrooms. Using a mix of Shiitake (chewy), Oyster (fibrous), and Cremini (soft) creates a complex mouthfeel.
- Allow the filling to cool completely before rolling. Hot filling will melt the butter layers in the puff pastry before it hits the oven, resulting in a greasy, flat crust.
- Miso is the key salinity driver here. If you substitute the miso, you must increase the salt content, but you will lose the deep umami background note.
- For cleaner cuts when portioning the rolls, wipe your knife with a damp cloth between slices.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container to prevent pastry from softening.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze unbaked rolls on a tray, then bag. Bake from frozen adding 5-10 minutes to cook time.
Reheating: Reheat in a 180°C/350°F oven for 10 minutes to re-crisp pastry. Microwave not recommended.
Troubleshooting
Soggy pastry bottom
Cause: Mushrooms were not cooked down enough, releasing water during baking
Fix: Bake on a wire rack over a tray for the last 5 minutes to circulate air underneath
Prevention: Ensure the mushroom pan is completely dry and sizzling before removing from heat
Filling spilling out
Cause: Pastry was not sealed tightly or filled too loosely
Fix: Push filling back in with a spoon immediately after baking while soft
Prevention: Press the seam firmly and chill the rolls for 15 minutes before baking
Cultural Context
Sausage rolls are a quintessential British and Australian party food, traditionally filled with pork meat. This modern adaptation utilizes the Japanese culinary concept of 'kokumi' (mouthfulness) via the interaction of aged cheese and fermented miso to replicate the satisfaction of the original meat version.
