Biscuits & Gravy Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it. Place cold butter in the freezer for a few minutes while measuring other ingredients.

Combine dry ingredients

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

Cut in butter

Using a box grater or pastry cutter, grate or cut the 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized bits of butter remaining. This creates flaky layers.

Add buttermilk

Make a well in the center and pour in 3 tablespoons buttermilk. Stir gently with a fork until dough just comes together; it will be slightly shaggy. If dough is too dry, add up to 1 tablespoon more buttermilk, 1 tsp at a time.

Turn out and fold

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface (use the 2 tablespoons extra flour as needed). Gently pat into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Fold the dough over onto itself 2 times (this builds layers), then pat again to 1-inch thickness. Handle gently to avoid overworking.

Cut biscuits

Use a 2.5-inch round biscuit cutter or a floured glass to cut 6 biscuits, pressing straight down without twisting to keep the layers. Gather scraps, gently re-pat (do not overwork) and cut remaining biscuits to make 6 total.

Bake

Place biscuits close together on the prepared baking sheet so sides touch (this helps them rise taller). Brush tops lightly with 2 tablespoons cold milk. Bake in preheated oven for 12–15 minutes, until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly while preparing gravy.

Brown sausage

In a 10–12-inch skillet over medium heat crumble and cook 1 lb bulk pork sausage until no pink remains and the fat renders, about 6–8 minutes. Break meat into small pieces with a spatula as it cooks. If the sausage has a lot of seasoning, adjust salt later.

Make rue with sausage fat

Reduce heat to medium-low. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour evenly over the cooked sausage and stir to combine, coating meat in flour. Cook the flour for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, so the raw flour taste cooks out but it does not darken significantly.

Add milk and thicken

Slowly pour in 2 cups whole milk while stirring to incorporate the flour into the liquid. Increase heat to medium and bring mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently. As it heats the gravy will thicken; simmer 4–6 minutes until it reaches a creamy gravy consistency. If it becomes too thick, add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time (up to 2 tablespoons), until desired consistency is reached.

Season

Remove from heat and season with 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and up to 1 teaspoon salt, tasting and adjusting as needed. If sausage was already salty, use less salt. Stir in 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley if using.

Keep warm

Keep the gravy warm over the lowest heat setting or in a covered pan while biscuits finish baking so it remains pourable.

Split biscuits horizontally and arrange on plates. Spoon a generous portion of hot sausage gravy over each biscuit half, covering the interior and top. Serve immediately. Leftover gravy can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days and reheated gently, thinning with a splash of milk or water if needed.