Biscuits & Gravy Recipe
Buttermilk biscuit halved & topped with a creamy sausage gravy.
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Biscuits
Sausage Gravy
To Serve
Method
Biscuits
Preheat
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Position a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt until evenly combined.
Cut in butter
Add 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cubes to the dry mix. Use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining (about 6-8 revolutions with a pastry cutter). Keep everything cold.
Add buttermilk
Pour in 3/4 cup cold buttermilk (see note) and gently fold with a rubber spatula until the dough just comes together. If still dry, add additional buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough holds but is not sticky. Do not overmix.
Shape and cut
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll to about 3/4-inch thickness. Fold the dough over onto itself 2 times to create layers, then pat back to 3/4-inch. Use a 2.5-inch round cutter to stamp biscuits, pressing straight down without twisting. Gather scraps and re-roll once to cut remaining biscuits (you should get 6-8 biscuits depending on cutter).
Sausage Gravy
Brown sausage
While biscuits bake, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 12 oz bulk pork breakfast sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until browned and cooked through with small crisp bits, about 6-8 minutes. If the sausage releases a lot of fat, spoon off and reserve all but about 1 tablespoon in the pan.
Add butter
Lower heat to medium-low and add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter to the skillet (if pan is dry). Let it melt and combine with the remaining fat to ensure about 1 tablespoon of fat total to make the roux.
Make roux
Sprinkle 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour over the sausage and fat. Stir constantly for 1-2 minutes to cook the flour and remove raw taste; the mixture should be bubbly and lightly toasted but not browned dark.
Add milk
Gradually pour in 2 cups whole milk while stirring or whisking to prevent lumps. Increase heat to medium and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Stir frequently as it thickens, about 4-6 minutes. If you prefer a richer gravy, stir in 1/4 cup heavy cream at this stage.
Season and adjust
Once the gravy has thickened to a creamy consistency that coats the back of a spoon, season with 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Taste and adjust: add more pepper or up to 1/2 teaspoon additional salt if needed. If the gravy is too thick, thin with 1-2 tablespoons hot water until desired consistency is reached.
Keep warm
Reduce heat to low and keep the gravy warm, stirring occasionally, until biscuits are ready.
Assembly & Serve
Split biscuits
Halve each warm biscuit horizontally with a serrated knife.
Top
Place biscuit bottoms on plates. Spoon a generous ladle (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup) of hot sausage gravy over each biscuit half. Cover with the biscuit top if desired or serve open-faced.
Garnish and serve
Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley if using and add extra freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately while hot.