Sausage buns from school
with ketchup mayo and so called Korean style pickled carrots
I was not planning to be posting these at all, until I received a couple of requests for the recipe. And actually I’m so glad you want to make these or interpret them in your own way!
Plain sausage buns are such a staple of Eastern European school canteens. They were one of my favourites back in school. If your class was on the closest lower floor to the canteen before the 20 min break, you are lucky because you can make it earlier than the rest. Canteen was usually located on the -1 floor, and if your class would be for example on the 4th, well, expect to be squeezed in the crowd. I’d get 2 usually, and if they were still warm that was a nice bonus. They are simple, slightly greasy in the best way, with a sausage baked right into a very soft dough. I always questioned how is this possible that school’s bakes are that good, they are literally made quick and from not the best quality ingredients I assume. But they were, and this is something a lot of us carry in our memory - school foods.
I’ve actually never made them myself until now, which feels strange considering how much I loved them growing up. But sausage buns aren’t really something people bake at home, they’re more of a supermarket or bakery thing, a quick pick-me-up when you’re hungry and need something filling and comforting.
Making them at home brought back so many memories. That first bite of the soft dough, the savoury sausage, it was like being 9 again, sitting in the class, complaining about ‘big problems’ and planning what we’d do after class.
I love this dough recipe. It’s quite tight and easy to work with, not sticky like some enriched doughs can be. It’s perfect for wrapping around sausages because it holds its shape and doesn’t tear. The dough is just slightly sweet, just a hint of sugar that balances the salt and makes the whole thing taste more rounded. You can totally omit the sugar if you want a completely savoury bun, but to me, it is an essential touch and works like a pinch of salt in anything sweet. It just makes it taste better imo.
We used simple pork sausages for this, but you can use whatever you like, cheese sausages would be amazing here.
And then there is my move with the pickled carrots, ketchup and mayo. Ketchup and mayo are not new, but I’m not sure I’ve eaten these buns with pickled Korean-style carrots. I’m pretty certain someone must have made them somewhere for sure. These aren’t traditional Eastern European pickles, they’re what we call “Korean-style” carrots, which is a very Soviet-influenced version of Korean cuisine that became hugely popular across Eastern Europe. They’re sweet, tangy, garlicky, and slightly spicy, with this beautiful oily sheen. We love them a lot, and they are sold in markets and made at homes across the countries. You can even get a plastic container in any Eastern European store in London. They’re the perfect addition to the buns, bright, crunchy, sharp.
Korean-style pickled carrots are called Korean for a reason.
Back in the 40s stalin’s regime forcibly deported nearly 200,000 ethnic Koreans from russian-occupied Korean territory to Central Asia, primarily Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. These communities were uprooted and relocated thousands of kilometers away under horrible conditions. Koreans had to adapt their cuisine to what was available. They couldn’t get napa cabbage for kimchi, but carrots were abundant. So they created those pickled carrots instead, flavoured with coriander, garlic, vinegar, and oil. It wasn’t quite Korean and wasn’t quite Eastern European. The dish spread throughout and became very common.
Yet again, an absolutely horrible story about russian/soviet regime behind a great food. It's horrific how so many dishes I grew up eating carry these disgusting histories of violence and displacement, but also incredible how moments of survival, human community, perseverance, solidarity are inevitably carried within. Some foods exist because people had no choice but to adapt or go without. This only illustrates that no one ever wanted to be subsumed into the mythical russian identity. These recipes are acts of resilience. They're proof that even in the worst circumstances, people found ways to keep their culture alive rather than becoming part of the imperialistic system.
For the buns:
Makes about 8-10 buns
400g all-purpose flour
160ml warm milk
10g fresh yeast (or 5g instant dried yeast)
11g salt (about 2 tsp)
20g sugar (about 1.5 tbsp, you can reduce or omit if you want a fully savoury bun)
2 eggs
30g butter, softened to room temperature
Also:
8-10 sausages (the ones that do not require cooking and can be consumed raw, like Frankfurt sausage, or the ones we often refer to as ‘milk sausages’)
1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp milk or cream for egg wash
Ketchup and mayo for filling
For the Korean-style pickled carrots:
1kg carrots, peeled and grated (use the large holes on a box grater or a julienne peeler for long, thin strips)
7-8 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
5 tbsp white vinegar (or rice vinegar)
1 tsp ground coriander
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt and ground black pepper
1 tsp strong mustard
120ml neutral oil (sunflower or vegetable oil)
First we make the dough.
In a small bowl, pour the warm milk and crumble in the fresh yeast (or sprinkle in the instant yeast if using). Stir gently and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes until slightly foamy.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook (or a large mixing bowl if working by hand), combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the two eggs and the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed until everything comes together into a shaggy dough.
Knead on medium speed for about 8-11 minutes until the dough becomes smoother. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl and feel soft but not too sticky.
Add the softened butter, a tablespoon at a time, while the mixer is running. At first, the dough might look like it’s falling apart, but keep on kneading, and it’ll come back together into a smooth, glossy, slightly tacky dough. Knead for another 3-4 minutes until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough is soft enough.
If making by hand: Mix everything except the butter in a large bowl until it comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth. Take a break, come back and knead for 10 more minutes. Gradually work in the softened butter, kneading until fully incorporated.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a cling film and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1-1.5 hours, or until doubled in size. It should feel puffy and light.
Now we shape the sausage buns
Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto the surface and gently punch it down to release the air. Divide it into 8-10 equal pieces (about 70-80g each).
Plain sausage buns. Take one piece of dough and flatten it slightly with your hand and roll until you get a 15-17cm wide strip. Place one end of the strip on one end of the sausage and start wrapping the dough around the sausage until you reach the other end of it. Press the ends of the dough gently to the ends of the sausage and make sure they are set.
Filled sausage buns. Roll a piece of dough out on the surface into an oval or rectangular shape, roughly 15cm long and 10cm wide. Then with a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut diagonal strips along both long sides of the dough, leaving space in the center. The strips should be about 1-2cm wide and angled at roughly 45 degrees. Leave about 3-4cm of uncut dough down the middle where your filling will go.
Spread a line of ketchup and mayo, add the pickled carrots on top, then the sausage right in the middle. Starting from one end, take the first strip from the left side and fold it diagonally over the filling. Then take the first strip from the right side and fold it over, crossing the left strip. Continue working your way down the bun. Each strip should overlap the previous one, creating a braided pattern that closes the filling. When you reach the end, tuck any remaining dough underneath and pinch to seal.
Place the shaped buns on a lined baking tray, leaving a few cm between them. Repeat with the remaining dough and sausages.
Now let them proof
Cover the buns with cling film or towel and let them rise for another 40-50 minutes until puffy and nearly doubled in size. They should feel soft and springy when you gently press them.
Now we bake
Oven to 180°C.
In a small bowl, whisk together an egg yolk and milk or cream. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash. This gives them that beautiful golden, shiny finish.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the buns puffed up and are very golden on top.
Let the buns cool slightly, just enough that you can handle them without burning your hands.
Eat immediately.
We were out of sausages, so the round buns with dripping cheese is a triple cheese buns, no less of a banger I must say.
Korean-style pickled carrots
Grate the carrots and place them in a large mixing bowl. You want long, thin strips. If you have a julienne peeler or a mandoline, even better.
Heat the oil on the pan. In the same bowl with carrots, add the minced garlic, ground coriander, vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard, and sugar on top. Pour the hot oil directly on the spices, so that they open up and become more aromatic. Let it cool slightly. Mix everything together thoroughly with your hands or fork, really working the dressing into the carrots.
Transfer the carrots to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours, but ideally overnight. The longer they sit, the better they taste. The carrots will soften slightly and absorb all the flavours, becoming tangy, garlicky, and just addictive.
These keep in the fridge for up to a week and taste better every day.
These carrots are my favourite, and I love eating them straight from the container when I have some in the fridge.
And here is me having one of those on our plane back to London, and honestly there is nothing more I’d ask for.
