Biscuits & Gravy* Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

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

Add the cold cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining (about 6–8 passes).

Stir in 3/4 cup cold whole milk and 1/4 cup buttermilk (or an extra 1/4 cup milk) just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix; the dough should be slightly shaggy and sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gently pat into a 3/4-inch thick rectangle. Fold the dough onto itself once or twice to create layers, then pat again to 3/4-inch thickness.

Use a 2.5–3 inch biscuit cutter (or a glass) to cut 4 biscuits (adjust size for desired quantity). Place biscuits on the prepared baking sheet so sides touch slightly for taller biscuits.

Brush tops lightly with a bit of extra milk if desired. Bake in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes, until golden brown on top. Remove and keep warm, tented with foil.

While the biscuits bake, season 12 oz ground pork sausage with 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 tsp dried sage. Mix gently to combine without overworking the meat.

Divide the sausage into four equal portions and form into thin patties slightly larger than the biscuits (they will shrink while cooking).

Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties (do not crowd the pan) and cook 3–4 minutes per side until well browned and cooked through (internal temp 160°F / 71°C). Transfer cooked patties to a plate and reserve drippings and any browned bits in the skillet for the gravy.

With the skillet still over medium heat, leave about 2–3 tablespoons of sausage drippings in the pan (if there is more fat, spoon off the excess leaving about 2–3 tbsp). Add 3 tbsp all-purpose flour to the drippings and stir constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk to form a roux. Cook 1–2 minutes until the raw flour smell is gone and the roux turns a light golden color.

Slowly whisk in 2 cups whole milk, starting with a few tablespoons to loosen the roux, then gradually adding the rest while whisking to avoid lumps. Bring the mixture to a simmer; it will thicken as it heats. If gravy becomes too thick, thin with an extra splash of milk.

Stir in 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1/4 tsp salt (adjust to taste). If you reserved extra browned sausage crumbles, add them now (about 6 oz worth) and simmer the gravy 2–3 minutes until heated through and slightly thickened. Stir in 2 tbsp heavy cream if using for richness.

Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep gravy warm on the lowest heat while you cook the eggs and finish plating.

In a small nonstick skillet, melt 1 tbsp unsalted butter over medium-low heat. Crack 2 eggs into the pan. Cook to the customer's requested style: for sunny-side up, cover briefly and cook until whites are set but yolks runny (about 3–4 minutes); for over-easy, cook whites set then gently flip and cook 20–30 seconds more; for over-medium or over-hard, cook longer until yolks reach desired doneness. Alternatively scramble or poach as requested.

To assemble: split biscuits in half horizontally. Place a sausage patty on the bottom half of each biscuit. Spoon a generous amount of hot sausage gravy over the patty and biscuit bottom. Top with the cooked eggs, then place the biscuit top on the side or over the eggs.

Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley and a few steady grinds of black pepper. Serve immediately with optional hot sauce at the table.