Pa's Sausage Gravy Biscuit Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.

Combine dry ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt until evenly combined.

Cut in butter

Add the 6 tablespoons of cold cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible. Do not overwork; cold butter is key for flaky layers.

Add milk

Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup whole milk (or buttermilk). Gently fold with a spatula or wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. If the dough seems dry and does not hold when pinched, add up to 2 tablespoons cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it holds together without being sticky.

Turn out and fold

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Fold the dough over itself 2 to 3 times (this creates layers), then gently press it back to 1-inch thickness. Avoid heavy rolling to preserve flaky texture.

Cut biscuits

Using a 2.5-inch biscuit cutter (or a drinking glass), press straight down into the dough to cut biscuits; do not twist the cutter. Gather scraps, gently press together, and cut remaining biscuits. You should have about 8 to 10 biscuits depending on cutter size.

Bake

Arrange biscuits on the prepared baking sheet so they are touching slightly for taller biscuits, or spaced apart for more golden sides. Brush tops with a little milk if desired. Bake in the preheated 450°F oven for 10 to 14 minutes, until risen and golden brown on top. Remove and let rest while making gravy.

Brown the sausage

Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the 1 pound of bulk pork sausage to the hot skillet. Break the sausage up with a spatula and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and fully cooked, about 7 to 10 minutes. If the sausage is very lean and the pan is dry, add 1 tablespoon butter toward the end to develop flavor.

Make the roux

With the sausage in the pan and most of the fat still present (you can spoon out excess if there is more than 3 tablespoons), sprinkle 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour evenly over the cooked sausage. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste and form a light roux; this will thicken the gravy.

Add milk and simmer

Slowly pour in 2 cups whole milk while stirring to combine and break up any lumps. Increase heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. As it heats, the gravy will thicken. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a creamy gravy consistency, about 5 minutes.

Season

Taste the gravy and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Add more pepper to taste — traditional sausage gravy is pepper-forward. If the gravy becomes too thick, stir in hot water 1 tablespoon at a time (up to 2 tablespoons) until desired consistency is reached.

Finish

Keep the gravy warm over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until the biscuits are ready.

Split warm biscuits in half using a fork or knife. Spoon generous portions of hot sausage gravy over each biscuit half, then top with the biscuit top. Serve immediately with additional black pepper at the table.