A nostalgic British jam roly-poly — a light suet sponge rolled around raspberry jam and steam-baked until pillowy. Pure comfort served with lashings of hot custard.
Jam roly-poly is a nostalgic British steamed pudding — a soft suet dough rolled around sweet raspberry jam and baked until tender and pillowy. It's old-school school-dinner comfort at its very best, especially smothered in hot custard. Warm, sweet and gloriously homely, it's a hug of a pudding.
Prep 20 min
Cook 60 min
Total 80 min
Medium
- 50g Butter
- 250g Self-Raising Flour
- 1 small Vanilla
- 50g Suet
- 150ml Milk
- 100g Raspberry Jam
- to serve Custard
Video
Preparation
- Put a deep roasting tin on the bottom shelf of the oven with another shelf directly above it. Pull the tin out, fill two-thirds with boiling water, then slide it back in. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tear off a large sheet of foil and greaseproof paper (about 30 x 40cm), sit the greaseproof on top of the foil, and butter it.
- Tip the butter, flour and vanilla seeds into a food processor and pulse until the butter disappears, then tip into a bowl. Stir through the suet, pour in the milk, and work together with a cutlery knife to a sticky dough, adding a drop more milk if needed.
- Tip the dough onto a floured surface, pat together, then roll out to a square roughly 25 x 25cm. Spread the jam all over, leaving a gap along one edge, then roll up from the opposite edge. Pinch the jam-free edge into the dough and pinch the ends. Lift onto the greased paper join-side down, loosely bring the paper and foil around it, and scrunch the edges to seal — leave room for it to puff.
- Lift the parcel onto the rack above the water tin and cook for 1 hour.
- Let it sit for 5 minutes, then unwrap, thickly slice, and serve with custard.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Use a light hand with the dough; overworking suet pastry makes it tough.
- Leave a clear border when spreading the jam so it doesn't all squeeze out as you roll.
- Wrap the roll loosely in greased paper and foil to leave room for it to puff up.
- Steaming it over a tray of water in the oven keeps it beautifully moist.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's a hard fat that gives steamed puddings their light, tender texture. Beef or vegetable suet both work; look for it shredded in the baking aisle.
Yes — traditionally jam roly-poly is steamed wrapped in cloth or foil over simmering water. The oven-with-water-tray method is a tidy modern approach.
Leave a border around the edges when spreading and pinch the seams well. Too much jam or rolling too tightly forces it out.
Hot custard is the classic and beloved partner. Cream or ice cream also work if you prefer.
