Biscuits & Gravy Recipe

Preheat and prepare

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

Mix dry ingredients

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

Cut in butter

Add the 6 tablespoons cubed cold unsalted 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 bits of butter remaining (some larger pieces will help flakiness). Work quickly to keep butter cold.

Add buttermilk and form dough

Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup cold buttermilk. Stir gently with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula just until the dough comes together and there are no large dry patches. Do not overmix.

Turn out and fold

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Fold the dough over onto itself 2–3 times to create layers, then pat again to 1-inch thickness. This folding encourages flakiness.

Cut biscuits

Using a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter (or a floured glass), press straight down without twisting to cut out biscuits. Gather scraps, gently press together (do not overwork), and cut remaining biscuits. You should get about 8–10 biscuits depending on cutter and thickness.

Bake

Place biscuits close together on the prepared baking sheet so they rise up (for taller sides) or spaced apart for crispier edges. Brush tops lightly with 2 teaspoons heavy cream if using. Bake at 450°F (230°C) for 10–14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway, until golden brown on top and cooked through.

Cool

Remove biscuits from oven and transfer to a wire rack for a few minutes. Serve warm split for the gravy.

Brown the sausage

While biscuits bake, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 pound pork breakfast sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Leave rendered fat in the pan, but if there's excessive fat (more than 3 tablespoons), spoon off a little, leaving about 2–3 tablespoons for the gravy.

Make roux with sausage drippings

Reduce heat to medium-low. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour evenly over the cooked sausage and fat. Stir constantly for 1–2 minutes to cook the raw flour taste and coat sausage bits; this will form the base of the gravy.

Add milk gradually

Slowly pour in 2 cups whole milk while stirring or whisking to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the skillet. If you prefer a slightly thinner gravy, add up to 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock in addition to or in place of some milk. Continue to simmer gently, stirring frequently, until the gravy thickens, about 4–6 minutes.

Season

Season with 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt, tasting and adjusting as needed. If the sausage was very salty, reduce added salt. For extra flavor, simmer 1–2 minutes longer to meld flavors.

Finish and garnish

If gravy becomes too thick, loosen with a splash of milk or stock to desired consistency. Stir in 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley if using. Keep warm on the lowest heat setting, stirring occasionally, until biscuits are ready.

Serve

Split biscuits in half and spoon hearty portions of sausage gravy over each. Serve immediately.