Homemade Sausage Gravy and Biscuits Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Position a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.

Mix dry ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt until evenly combined.

Cut in butter

Add 1/2 cup cold, cubed unsalted butter to the dry mixture. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining (about 6-8 revolutions with a cutter).

Add liquids

Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup cold buttermilk and 1/4 cup cold whole milk. Using a fork or spatula, gently stir until the dough just comes together — it will be slightly sticky. Do not overmix.

Fold and pat

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (use about 1/4 cup flour for dusting). Gently fold the dough over itself 3-4 times to create layers, then pat to about 3/4-inch thickness. If the dough is too sticky to handle, sprinkle a little more flour, a tablespoon at a time.

Cut biscuits

Using a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter (or a floured glass), press straight down without twisting to cut biscuits. Gently gather scraps, pat once more to 3/4-inch and cut remaining biscuits. You should get about 8-10 biscuits depending on cutter size.

Bake

Place biscuits on the prepared baking sheet so they are just touching for taller sides or spaced apart for crisper edges. Brush tops with a little extra milk if desired. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown on top and cooked through. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack. Keep warm while you prepare the gravy.

Brown the sausage

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 pound pork breakfast sausage (break into small pieces with a spatula). Cook, stirring and breaking up lumps, until nicely browned and fully cooked, about 6-8 minutes. If the sausage releases a lot of fat, spoon out and discard excess, leaving approximately 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan. If there's little fat, add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter to the pan.

Make the roux

Sprinkle 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour evenly over the cooked sausage and fat. Stir continuously for 1-2 minutes so the raw flour flavor cooks off and it turns slightly golden. This will thicken the gravy.

Add milk gradually

Slowly pour in 3 cups whole milk while stirring or whisking to prevent lumps. Start with a small stream, stir until smooth, then add the rest in two additions, stirring until smooth each time.

Simmer and season

Bring the gravy to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat while stirring frequently. The gravy will thicken as it heats (about 5-8 minutes). If it becomes too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons milk to reach desired consistency. Stir in 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (adjust to taste), and 1 teaspoon hot sauce if using. Taste and adjust seasoning—add more pepper or salt as needed.

Finish

Once the gravy is smooth, creamy, and has reached your preferred thickness, remove from heat. If you like extra smooth gravy, gently press the sausage into a fine-mesh strainer over the gravy and return the strained liquid, or simply leave the sausage pieces as-is for a heartier texture. Stir in chopped parsley if using.

Serve

Split warm biscuits in half and spoon the sausage gravy generously over each biscuit. Serve immediately while hot.