The Southern Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl whisk together 2.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp kosher salt until evenly combined.

Grate or cut 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter into small pieces and quickly rub or use a pastry cutter into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized bits of butter remaining.

Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup cold buttermilk. Using a fork or spatula, gently fold just until dough comes together — it should be shaggy and slightly sticky. Do not overmix.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gently pat to about 1-inch thickness. Fold the dough over itself 2 times (this creates layers), then pat again to 1-inch thickness.

Using a 3.5–4 inch biscuit cutter, stamp straight down without twisting to retain rise. Re-roll scraps gently and cut to make one jumbo biscuit (you should get 1 very large biscuit or 2 medium; recipe scaled for 4 servings uses one jumbo split in half). Place on prepared sheet about 1 inch apart. Brush tops with 2 tbsp extra buttermilk.

Bake in preheated oven 15–18 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove and let rest while finishing other components. If you prefer, split the biscuit while warm so it absorbs gravy.

While biscuits bake, divide 1 lb ground breakfast sausage into 4 equal portions (about 4 oz each) and form into flat patties slightly larger than the biscuit when cooked (they will shrink). Season lightly with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp neutral oil. When shimmering, add sausages and cook 3–4 minutes per side until well browned and cooked through (internal temp 160°F / 71°C). Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Leave any fond in the pan to help flavor the gravy.

In the same skillet used for patties, reduce heat to medium and add 2 tbsp unsalted butter. If there's significant rendered fat from the sausage, reduce butter accordingly — you want roughly 2 tbsp fat total.

Add 6 oz (0.375 lb) crumbled sage-style sausage to the pan and brown for 2–3 minutes until cooked and fragrant, breaking it up with a spoon.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup all-purpose flour over the cooked sausage and stir to coat. Cook the flour 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it starts to turn a light golden color — this removes the raw flour taste.

Slowly whisk in 2 cups whole milk, a little at a time to avoid lumps. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer while whisking; the gravy will thicken in 3–5 minutes.

Season gravy with 3/4 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper and a pinch (1/8 tsp) cayenne if using. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Keep gravy on low heat to stay warm; if it becomes too thick, whisk in up to 2–4 tbsp milk to reach desired pouring consistency.

Decide how you want your eggs (sunny-side, over-easy, over-hard, or fried well). For four servings, use 4 large eggs.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-low and add 1 tbsp unsalted butter. When butter foams, crack in eggs spaced apart. Season each with 1/8 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper.

For sunny-side: cook undisturbed 3–4 minutes until whites are set but yolks still runny. For over-easy: cook 2–3 minutes until whites set, carefully flip and cook 20–30 seconds. For over-hard: flip and cook 1–2 minutes until yolks fully set. For well-done (fried through), cook to desired doneness.

If assembling immediately, sprinkle about 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar per serving (total 1 cup) over the bottom half of the split biscuit or directly onto the hot sausage patty to let it melt slightly.

Split the warm jumbo biscuit in half horizontally. Place the bottom half on a plate.

Place a hot sausage patty on the bottom biscuit half, then top the patty with a generous ladle (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup) of hot house-made sausage gravy so it covers the patty and biscuit.

Add the fried egg on top of the gravy (or place egg directly on patty if you prefer less gravy on the yolk). Sprinkle remaining shredded cheddar over the egg and gravy so it melts from the residual heat.

Cap with the top biscuit half. If desired, brush the biscuit with 1 tbsp melted butter and sprinkle with chopped chives or parsley.

Serve immediately while hot, with extra gravy on the side if desired.