Half Order Biscuits & Gravy Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly flour it.

Dry ingredients

In a medium bowl whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp sugar until evenly combined.

Cut in butter

Add 2 tablespoons of 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 pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

Add milk and form dough

Pour in 1/2 cup cold whole milk and stir gently with a fork until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix; the dough should be slightly shaggy and sticky but hold together.

Shape and cut biscuits

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat to about 3/4-inch thickness. Fold dough over itself 1–2 times to create flaky layers, then pat again to 3/4–1 inch. Use a 2.5–3 inch round biscuit cutter (or the rim of a glass) to cut two biscuits. Press straight down—do not twist—to help them rise evenly. Gather scraps, press once, and cut the second biscuit.

Bake

Place biscuits on prepared baking sheet with edges touching slightly for taller sides or spaced apart for more crust. Brush tops with optional melted butter if desired. Bake in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes, until golden brown on top and cooked through. Remove from oven and keep warm while preparing gravy.

Brown the sausage

Heat a 8–10 inch skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 lb ground pork breakfast sausage and 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter (butter helps with browning and flavor). Break the sausage into small pieces with a spatula and cook, stirring occasionally, until no pink remains and bits are nicely browned, about 5–7 minutes. Spoon off and reserve about 1–2 teaspoons of rendered fat if there is excess; leave roughly 1 tablespoon in the pan with the browned sausage.

Make the roux

Reduce heat to medium-low. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour evenly over the sausage and fat. Stir continuously for 1–2 minutes to cook the raw flour taste and create a lightly browned roux.

Add milk and simmer

Slowly pour in 1 cup whole milk while stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Increase heat to medium and bring the mixture to a low simmer. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the gravy thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3–6 minutes. If the gravy becomes too thick, stir in up to 1 tablespoon hot water at a time until you reach desired consistency.

Season

Season the gravy with 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, tasting and adjusting as needed. Remember the sausage can be salty, so add salt sparingly. Keep the gravy warm on the lowest heat setting while biscuits finish baking or resting.

Split the warm biscuits in half horizontally and place on a serving plate. Spoon a generous portion of sausage gravy over each biscuit half so both halves are well coated. If desired, brush biscuits with 1/2 tablespoon melted butter and sprinkle 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives or parsley for color.

Serve immediately while biscuits and gravy are hot.