Biscuits & Gravy Recipe

Preheat and prep

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it. Place a rack in the middle of the oven.

Combine dry ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tbsp sugar until evenly distributed.

Cut in butter

Add 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed, to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining (about the size of small peas). Work quickly to keep butter cold.

Add buttermilk and form dough

Pour 1 cup cold buttermilk into the flour-butter mixture. Gently fold with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix. If the dough seems very dry, add up to 2 tablespoons additional buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Turn out and fold

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat or roll to a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Fold the dough in thirds (like a letter), rotate 90 degrees, and pat again to 1-inch thickness — repeating the fold 1–2 times creates flakier layers. Avoid heavy handling.

Cut the biscuits

Using a 2.5-inch round biscuit cutter (or a floured glass), press straight down into the dough without twisting to cut biscuits. Gather scraps, lightly press together, and cut remaining biscuits — aim for 8–10 biscuits depending on cutter size. Place biscuits on prepared baking sheet, touching slightly for soft sides or spaced apart for crisper edges.

Brush and bake

Optional: brush the tops with 2 tbsp heavy cream or buttermilk for a golden finish. Bake in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes, until tops are puffed and golden brown. Rotate pan halfway through if your oven bakes unevenly.

Cool briefly

Remove biscuits from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before splitting and serving with gravy.

Brown the sausage

While biscuits bake, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 lb breakfast pork sausage, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fully browned and no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Leave rendered fat in the pan; if there is an excessive amount, drain off all but about 2–3 tablespoons.

Make the roux

Reduce heat to medium-low. Sprinkle 1/4 cup all-purpose flour evenly over the browned sausage and fat. Stir continuously for 1–2 minutes so the flour cooks and absorbs the fat; this removes the raw flour taste and thickens the gravy base.

Add milk gradually

Slowly pour in 3 cups whole milk in a steady stream while stirring or whisking to prevent lumps. Increase heat to medium and continue to stir as the mixture heats. The gravy will begin to thicken as it comes to a gentle simmer. If it becomes too thick, add additional milk 2 tablespoons at a time to reach desired consistency.

Season and finish

Stir in 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and 1 tsp minced fresh sage if using. Taste and adjust seasoning — add up to 1/2 tsp more salt or a few additional grinds of pepper as needed. For a touch of heat, stir in 1 tsp hot sauce if desired. Simmer on low for 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until gravy is smooth and coats the back of a spoon.

Hold and reheat if needed

Keep gravy warm over very low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming. If gravy thickens too much while holding, whisk in a little warm milk (1–2 tbsp at a time) until you reach the proper pourable consistency.

Assemble

Split warm biscuits and spoon generous amounts of sausage gravy over the bottoms, replace tops, and serve immediately.