Biscuits & Gravy Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly flour it. Keep cold ingredients cold until ready to combine.

Mix dry ingredients

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

Cut in fats

Add 1/2 cup very cold cubed unsalted butter and 1/2 cup very cold vegetable shortening to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, cut the fats into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining (small lumps create flaky layers).

Add buttermilk

Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup cold buttermilk. Gently fold with a spatula until the dough just comes together and is shaggy — do not overmix. If the dough seems dry, add up to 1-2 tablespoons additional cold buttermilk.

Dough handling and folding

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat it into a rectangle about 3/4-inch thick. Fold the dough over onto itself 2 to 3 times (this builds layers). Pat or roll gently to about 1-inch thickness. Avoid overworking to keep biscuits tender.

Cut biscuits

Use a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter (or a floured glass) to cut biscuits straight down — do not twist. Press scraps together once and cut remaining biscuits to yield about 8–10 biscuits. Place biscuits close together on the prepared baking sheet for taller sides or spaced apart for crisper edges.

Brush and bake

Brush tops with 2 tbsp heavy cream if desired for browning. Bake in the preheated 425°F (220°C) oven for 12–15 minutes, until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and transfer to a rack; optionally brush with 2 tbsp butter and keep warm while preparing gravy.

Brown the sausage

In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 lb bulk pork breakfast sausage. Break it up with a spoon and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. You want rendered fat in the pan — leave most of it (about 2–3 tablespoons) for the gravy. If there is an excessive amount, spoon off and discard some, leaving about 2–3 tbsp.

Make the roux

Reduce heat to medium-low. Sprinkle 1/4 cup all-purpose flour evenly over the cooked sausage and fat. Stir constantly for about 1–2 minutes; the flour should soak up the fat and start to smell slightly toasty but not browned. This cooks the raw-flour taste and thickens the gravy.

Add milk and thicken

Gradually whisk in 3 cups whole milk, adding a little at a time and whisking to smooth lumps. Increase heat to medium and simmer, stirring frequently, until the gravy thickens, about 5–8 minutes. If the gravy becomes too thick, whisk in up to 2 tablespoons hot water or additional milk to reach your desired consistency.

Season

Season the gravy with 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Taste and adjust: add more salt if your sausage is mild, or more pepper for a spicier bite.

Finish and keep warm

Simmer gently for another 1–2 minutes to meld flavors. If making ahead, keep the gravy over very low heat and stir occasionally; add a splash of milk to loosen before serving if it thickens too much.

Split warm biscuits in half and place on plates. Spoon generous amounts of hot sausage gravy over each biscuit. Garnish with optional chopped parsley and serve immediately. Leftover gravy can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop with a splash of milk.