Biscuits & Gravy Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly flour the sheet. Keep butter and buttermilk cold until needed.

Mix dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt until evenly combined.

Cut in butter

Add 3 tablespoons very cold, cubed butter to the flour 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 butter pieces remaining.

Add buttermilk and form dough

Pour 1/2 cup cold buttermilk into the flour-butter mixture. Stir gently with a fork until the dough just comes together and is shaggy but not overworked. If dough is too dry, add up to 1 tablespoon more buttermilk.

Turn out and fold

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gently pat it into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Fold the dough onto itself 2-3 times (this creates flaky layers) and gently pat to 1-inch thickness again. Do not overwork.

Cut biscuits

Using a 2½ to 3-inch round cutter, press straight down without twisting to cut two biscuits. Gather scraps, gently re-pat once and cut remaining biscuit. Place biscuits on prepared baking sheet so they just touch for taller biscuits.

Brush and bake

Brush the tops lightly with 1 tablespoon heavy cream or additional buttermilk if desired. Bake in preheated oven for 12–15 minutes, until risen and golden brown on top. Remove and let cool 3–5 minutes before splitting.

Brown the sausage

While biscuits bake, heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 8 oz bulk breakfast sausage and cook, breaking up with a spatula, until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. If the sausage is very lean and the skillet is dry, add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter. Leave the rendered fat in the pan—it adds flavor.

Make the roux

Reduce heat to medium-low. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour evenly over the browned sausage and fat. Stir constantly for about 1–2 minutes to cook the raw flour taste and form a paste that coats the meat. Do not let it brown significantly—just a light toasty aroma.

Add milk and thicken

Slowly whisk in 2 cups whole milk (and 1/4 cup half-and-half if using) a little at a time to avoid lumps, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Increase heat to medium and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently. The gravy will thicken over 4–6 minutes. If it becomes too thick, thin with up to 2 tablespoons additional milk.

Season

Season the gravy with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, taste and adjust—sausage can be salty, so add salt sparingly. Stir in 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or parsley if using for brightness.

Finish

Simmer on low for another minute to blend flavors, then remove from heat. If you prefer an ultra-smooth gravy, press through a coarse strainer or blend briefly with an immersion blender, but keep some meat texture for classic country gravy.

Assemble

Split each warm biscuit in half horizontally. Place bottom halves on plates, spoon a generous portion of hot sausage gravy over each (about 3/4 to 1 cup per biscuit depending on preference), top with biscuit tops, and serve immediately. Garnish with extra black pepper or chopped parsley if desired.