Morning rolls with hot sauce

Take a classic Scottish breakfast bap and turn it into a full-on brunch feast. Soft, dimpled rolls cradle haggis, Lorne sausage, tattie scones and fried eggs, all brought to life with a fizzy Irn‑Bru hot sauce that is sweet, sharp and fiery.

Prep: overnight

Cook: 30 mins to 1 hour

Serves: Makes 6

Dietary: Pregnancy-friendly

By Gregg Boyd
From Saturday Kitchen Recipes

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Morning rolls with hot sauce are an indulgent Scottish brunch, with soft white bread rolls, haggis, Lorne sausage, tattie scones and fried eggs all stacked together. The fillings bring plenty of protein and iron from the meat and eggs, but also a fair amount of saturated fat and salt. The Irn‑Bru hot sauce adds extra sugar and a little oil, so it is best enjoyed as an occasional treat breakfast rather than an everyday roll.

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Equipment

• Medium saucepan
• Blender 🛒 Check out Amazon’s Choice
• Large mixing bowl 🛒 Check out Amazon’s Choice
• Measuring jug
• Kitchen scales
• Wooden spoon
• Stand mixer with dough hook
• Dough scraper
• Deep baking tray (about 5cm sides)
• Cling film
• Oven gloves
• Frying pan
• Bread knife
• Spatula

Method

1. Reduce the Irn‑Bru to start building your hot sauce base. Pour the Irn‑Bru into a medium saucepan, bring it up to the boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer until it has reduced and thickened slightly. You are aiming for a syrupy texture that will carry the chilli and citrus flavours later.
2. Blend the hot sauce aromatics so they are smooth and punchy. Add the Scotch bonnet chillies, onion, garlic, lemon juice, white vinegar, pinch of MSG and vegetable oil to a blender, then blend until you have a silky, bright orange mixture with no big chunks left.
3. Combine and rest the hot sauce so the flavours can really come together. Stir the blended mixture into the warm reduced Irn‑Bru, let it bubble for a minute or two until it thickens just slightly, then take it off the heat. Leave it to cool and rest overnight so the sweetness, heat and sharpness balance out.
4. Mix the dry ingredients for the rolls to get the dough started. Tip the very strong white bread flour into a large mixing bowl, then add the sugar, salt and dried active yeast. Stir everything together so the yeast and seasoning are evenly dispersed through the flour.
5. Rub in the fat until the flour looks slightly sandy. Add the lard or vegetable shortening in small pieces and work it into the flour with your fingertips or a mixer on low, until there are no large visible chunks and the mixture feels like fine crumbs.
6. Add the water and bring the dough together so it starts to feel elastic. Pour in the cold water and mix on a slow speed at first, just until there are no dry patches of flour left, then increase to a medium–high speed so the dough begins to pull cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.
7. Knead thoroughly to develop that classic morning roll structure. Keep kneading at medium–high speed for 20–25 minutes, or until the dough looks smooth, springy and forms a cohesive ball that leaves the bowl sides almost clean. This long knead gives the rolls their chewy, airy texture.
8. Check the window‑pane so you know the dough is ready. Pinch off a small piece of dough and gently stretch it out between your fingers. If it spreads thin enough for light to pass through without tearing, the gluten is developed; if it tears quickly, knead for a few minutes longer and test again.
9. Prove the dough until it is light and puffy. Transfer the dough to a clean large bowl, cover with a damp tea towel or cling film, and leave it at room temperature for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size and feels airy when you press it.
10. Knock back and divide so each morning roll is an even size. With wet hands, gently punch down the risen dough to deflate it, then turn it out onto a heavily floured work surface. Cut it into twelve equal pieces, roughly 120g each, so your rolls bake evenly.
11. Shape the rolls into tight balls to help them rise straight upwards. Take each piece, press it out slightly and pull the edges into the centre like a dumpling. Flip it seam‑side down and roll it against the work surface with a cupped hand until you feel the surface tension tighten into a smooth ball.
12. Arrange and dust the rolls to set up the overnight rise. Place the twelve dough balls snugly into a deep baking tray with sides about 5cm high, leaving just a little space between them. Sprinkle generously with rice flour so they develop that traditional, dappled Scottish morning roll top.
13. Chill for a slow ferment to boost flavour and texture. Wrap the tray tightly in cling film and place it in the fridge for 8–12 hours, or overnight. This cold rise deepens the flavour, helps create a chewy crumb and gives the rolls their distinctive soft, floury crust.
14. Preheat the oven so it is piping hot for baking. When you are ready to bake, heat the oven to 240C/220C Fan/Gas 9 and let it fully preheat before the tray goes in. A fierce heat is what gives morning rolls their lift and colour.
15. Bake the morning rolls until they are golden and crisp. Slide the tray into the hot oven and bake for 28–30 minutes if you like a crisp roll with a firm crust. Once baked, lift the rolls out and leave them to cool completely on a rack before you slice them so the crumb can set.
16. Cook the haggis so it is hot and crumbly. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 if it is not already at that temperature, place the haggis in an ovenproof dish and cook for 10–12 minutes, or according to pack instructions, until it is piping hot all the way through.
17. Fry the sausage and tattie scones while the haggis is in the oven. Heat a splash of oil in a frying pan, add the Lorne sausage slices and cook until browned and cooked through on both sides. Remove to a warm plate, then fry the tattie scones in the same pan until golden at the edges.
18. Fry the eggs so the yolks are just how you like them. Add a little more oil to the pan if needed, crack in the eggs and fry gently until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft, or cook them longer if you prefer them firmer. A runny yolk is brilliant with the hot sauce.
19. Assemble the morning rolls with hot sauce and get ready for a proper Scottish brunch. Slice each cooled morning roll open with a bread knife, layer in haggis, Lorne sausage and a tattie scone, then top with a fried egg. Spoon or drizzle the Irn‑Bru hot sauce over the fillings, close the roll and serve straight away while everything is hot and the rolls are still soft.