Beef And Onion Bread Roll Pies

Okay, I’ve definitely not reinvented the wheel here, but I’d like to think I’ve come up with something rather fun and delicious! Follow me…

Beef and Onion Pie Filling

We’ll talk about the bread part in just a second, but first, let’s discuss the filling. These pies are an easy version of an individual pie and we want the filling to reflect that. As such, we’ll be using minced beef. No hours of simmering needed, just good old-fashioned beef mince simmered in a gravy.

Gravy Pie Filling

We’ll create the sauce (aka the gravy) using the fat from the beef combined with flour. We’ll then add in the stock to create the gravy and spruce it up with some Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and Beef Oxo cube, alongside some onion powder to really highlight the onion aspect of the filling. We want the filling fairly thick, so it’s important to simmer the gravy and reduce it down until it’s no longer watery. Otherwise, it’ll turn the bread soggy. Process shots: fry onion (photo 1), fry garlic (photo 2), fry beef (photo 3), stir in flour (photo 4), stir in beef stock (photo 5), stir in extra goodies and simmer (photo 6).

Bread Roll Pies

Instead of using shortcrust pastry on the bottom, where you’ve typically got to blind bake it, here we’re using a bread roll. Stick with me here…

What kind of bread should I use?

You’ll want to use large white crusty rolls. It’s really important that they’re firm/crusty (they should almost sound hollow to tap). This will give the pies structure and keep them nice and crispy as they bake. Just slice off the top and press in the filling to create a firm wall. This will prevent the filling from leaking out and prevent the bread from going soggy. After you’ve added the filling, just plonk on some puff pastry and you’re practically there. My initial concern was that there might be a clash of texture with the pastry and bread, but the bread crisps up really nicely and works perfectly with the pastry. The lid is light and crisp and the bread is slightly firmer but still nice and crisp. Process shots: slice top off of roll (photo 1), press in the centre (photo 2), add filling (photo 3), add pastry (photo 4), brush bread with butter and pastry with egg wash (photo 5), bake (photo 6).

How do I prevent the bread from going soggy?

So long as you’re using crusty rolls and you press in the filling to build a wall, you’ll be absolutely fine! Also just make sure the filling cools a little before you add it to the bread.

Can I use shortcrust pastry instead of puff pastry?

I highly recommend puff pastry to ensure the pies are nice and crisp!

Can I use a different filling?

Sure! So long as its consistency is nice and thick you should be absolutely fine to experiment with different fillings.

Serving Bread Roll Pies

I love a squirt of brown sauce (or even ketchup) but they’re so great as they are! Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for these bread roll pies shall we?!