The best sausage rolls

Start with the pastry. Put the flour into a bowl and add the butter. Using your fingertips, squash each piece of butter, pressing it into a flat flake. Rub the flakes into the flour for a few minutes, stopping when the mixture looks like rubbly breadcrumbs with a few visible pieces of butter. These will melt to create the flaky texture.

Add the crème fraÎche and stir with a roundbladed knife until the mixture clumps together. Squeeze the pastry together using your hands, briefly kneading so it becomes one piece. Shape into a rectangle and wrap in clingfilm, then chill for at least 30 minutes.

For the filling, heat the oil in a frying pan over a low heat and add the onion. Fry for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until translucent and soft. Add the garlic, cook for 2 minutes more, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the sausagemeat, pork mince, mustard and Marmite. Using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder, pound the spices to a chunky powder. Add to the mince mixture with the sage, salt, pepper and cooled onions. Mix well to combine, using your hands if needed, until evenly mixed.

Roll the pastry on a floured surface into a large rectangle, about 20x35cm and 0.5cm thick. Arrange the pork mixture along the centre, using your hands to shape it into a chunky sausage shape that runs the full length of the pastry. Make sure it is an even thickness all the way along so the sausage rolls are the same size.

Brush the exposed pastry with a little beaten egg, then fold one edge over the filling. Roll the sausage roll tightly, then press gently to seal where the pastry ends meet. You may need to trim the excess with a sharp knife, as only a small overlap is needed. Wrap the log loosely in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Trim the ends from the log, then divide into 8 even-sized pieces. Place the sausage rolls, seam-side down, on a parchment-lined baking tray, then brush the tops with the remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with the seeds.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through with no pink meat and juices that run clear. Serve warm, or cool completely, ready to take on picnics or to fill out a packed lunch.