Biscuits and Gravy
This classic Southern breakfast combines tender, flaky homemade buttermilk biscuits with rich, peppery sausage gravy. It's comfort food at its finest, ready in under an hour with simple pantry ingredients.
Equipment
- Large cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan 10-12 inch
- Large mixing bowl For biscuit dough
- Box grater For grating frozen butter
- Biscuit cutter or 3-inch round cookie cutter
- Rolling Pin
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Pastry brush
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
For the Biscuits
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 250g, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter 113g, cut into small cubes
- 3/4 cup cold buttermilk 180ml
- 2 tablespoons melted butter For brushing
For the Sausage Gravy
- 1 pound breakfast pork sausage 450g
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 30g
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk 600ml
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper Plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt Plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper Optional, for heat
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes Optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut butter into cubes and freeze for 10 minutes.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Grate frozen butter into flour mixture, toss to coat, then add cold buttermilk and stir just until combined.
- Turn dough onto floured surface, pat to 1 inch thick, fold in half twice for layers, then pat to 3/4-1 inch thickness. Cut straight down with biscuit cutter without twisting.
- Place biscuits on prepared baking sheet with sides barely touching, brush with melted butter, and bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Keep warm while making gravy.
- Heat skillet over medium-high heat, add sausage and cook 5-7 minutes, breaking into small crumbles until completely browned. Leave 2-3 tablespoons fat in the pan.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, sprinkle flour over sausage, and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes until flour is absorbed and smells slightly nutty.
- While whisking constantly, slowly pour in milk, then increase heat to medium and simmer 5-8 minutes until thickened. Add black pepper, salt, cayenne, and red pepper flakes to taste.
- Split each biscuit in half horizontally, place two halves on each plate, and ladle hot sausage gravy generously over the biscuits. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Keep everything cold: Use frozen butter and cold buttermilk to create steam pockets that make biscuits flaky.
- Don't overwork the dough: Mix just until combined. You should still see butter pieces and the dough should look shaggy.
- Use a sharp cutter: Press straight down without twisting when cutting biscuits to allow proper rising.
- Leave 2-3 tablespoons of sausage fat in the pan for the roux - don't drain it all.
- Whisk constantly when adding milk to prevent lumps from forming.
- Season generously: Sausage gravy should be peppery, so don't be shy with the black pepper.
- Adjust consistency: If gravy is too thick, whisk in more milk. If too thin, simmer longer.
- Make-ahead: Prepare biscuit dough the night before, cut into rounds, and refrigerate covered.
- Storage: Store biscuits at room temperature up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Refrigerate gravy up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Warm biscuits in 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes. Reheat gravy on stovetop over low heat, adding milk to thin as needed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 485kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 18gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 780mgPotassium: 320mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 8IUCalcium: 15mgIron: 12mg
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