Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- Biscuits: 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 12 tablespoons (170 g) cold unsalted butter, 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) cold buttermilk
- Gravy: 1 1/2 lb (680 g) breakfast sausage, 1/3 cup (43 g) all-purpose flour, 5 cups (1.18 L) whole milk (room temp), 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper (plus more to taste), 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- Optional: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (if sausage is very lean), 1–2 teaspoons chopped chives or parsley for serving
Do This
- 1. Heat oven to 450°F (232°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- 2. Make biscuit dough: whisk dry ingredients, cut in cold butter, stir in cold buttermilk just until combined.
- 3. Pat dough to 3/4-inch thick, cut 16 biscuits, bake 12–14 minutes until tall and golden.
- 4. Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat; leave drippings in the pan.
- 5. Sprinkle flour over sausage; cook 1–2 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk; simmer until thick, 6–10 minutes. Season heavily with black pepper.
- 6. Split hot biscuits, ladle on gravy, finish with extra pepper and optional chives.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Flaky, tall buttermilk biscuits that are sturdy enough to hold plenty of gravy.
- Peppery sausage gravy with real browned flavor and a creamy, lump-free roux.
- Feeds a crowd with simple ingredients and straightforward steps.
- Comfort-food breakfast that’s equally great for brunch, holidays, or weeknight breakfast-for-dinner.
Grocery List
- Produce: Chives or parsley (optional)
- Dairy: Unsalted butter, buttermilk, whole milk
- Meat: Breakfast sausage (pork or a pork blend)
- Pantry: All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, granulated sugar, kosher salt, black pepper
Full Ingredients
Buttermilk Biscuits (makes about 16)
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional, but helps browning)
- 12 tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) buttermilk, very cold
Sausage Gravy (generous for a crowd)
- 1 1/2 lb (680 g) breakfast sausage
- 1/3 cup (43 g) all-purpose flour
- 5 cups (1.18 L) whole milk, at room temperature (helps prevent lumps)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional, only if the sausage doesn’t render enough fat for the roux)
For Serving (optional)
- Chopped chives or parsley
- Extra freshly ground black pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven and set up your pan
Arrange an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (or leave unlined if you prefer crisper bottoms).
If you have time, place the cubed butter in the freezer for 10 minutes while you measure everything else. Colder butter makes flakier biscuits.
Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients for the biscuits
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and sugar until evenly combined.
This quick whisk is what keeps the biscuits tasting consistent (no surprise pockets of salt or leavening).
Step 3: Cut in the butter, then add buttermilk
Add the cold cubed butter to the bowl. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-size pieces remaining. Those larger pieces are a good thing; they create the flaky layers.
Pour in the cold buttermilk. Stir gently with a fork or rubber spatula just until a shaggy dough forms and you don’t see dry flour at the bottom of the bowl. Do not overmix; a slightly messy dough bakes up tender.
Step 4: Shape, fold, cut, and bake the biscuits
Lightly flour a clean work surface. Turn out the dough and gently bring it together. Pat it into a rectangle about 3/4-inch thick. Fold the dough in half, then in half again (a simple “letter fold” for layers), and pat it back out to 3/4-inch thick.
Cut biscuits using a 2 1/2-inch round cutter (or a floured drinking glass). Press straight down without twisting, which helps biscuits rise evenly. You should get about 16 biscuits. If you need to re-roll scraps, do it gently and only once for best height.
Arrange biscuits on the baking sheet with sides just barely touching (this helps them rise tall). Bake for 12–14 minutes, or until puffed and deeply golden on top. Set aside while you make the gravy.
Step 5: Brown the sausage and build the roux
While the biscuits bake (or right after), set a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, 8–10 minutes.
Look at the fat in the pan. You want enough drippings to combine with the flour into a thick paste (roux). If the pan looks dry (common with very lean sausage), add 2 tablespoons butter and let it melt.
Sprinkle the flour evenly over the sausage. Stir constantly and cook for 1–2 minutes. This cooks out the raw flour taste and sets you up for a gravy that thickens smoothly.
Step 6: Whisk in milk and simmer until thick and creamy
Reduce heat to medium. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking (or stirring vigorously) as you go. Start with about 1 cup to loosen the roux, then add the remaining milk in a steady stream. Scrape the bottom of the pan to pull up all the flavorful browned bits.
Bring the gravy to a gentle simmer, stirring often, then cook until thickened to a spoon-coating consistency, 6–10 minutes. If it gets too thick, whisk in additional milk 1/4 cup at a time until it’s how you like it.
Step 7: Season boldly and serve right away
Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Taste and adjust. Classic sausage gravy should be nicely peppery, so don’t be shy with the pepper.
Split warm biscuits in half. Spoon a generous ladle of hot sausage gravy over each portion. Finish with extra black pepper and optional chopped chives or parsley.
Pro Tips
- Keep everything cold for flaky biscuits: Cold butter and cold buttermilk create steam pockets in the oven that form layers.
- Don’t twist the biscuit cutter: Twisting seals edges and can prevent good rise.
- Cook the flour in the sausage fat: That 1–2 minute roux cook is the difference between “floury” gravy and a rich, savory one.
- Use room-temp milk if possible: It blends into the roux more smoothly and helps prevent lumps.
- Fix gravy texture fast: Too thick = add milk; too thin = simmer longer (stirring often) until it reduces and thickens.
Variations
- Spicy sausage gravy: Use hot breakfast sausage and add 1/8–1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper with the black pepper.
- Extra-creamy gravy: Replace 1 cup of the whole milk with 1 cup half-and-half (keep total liquid at 5 cups).
- Herby finish: Add 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme to the gravy at the end and garnish with chives.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Biscuits: Store cooled biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 8–10 minutes (from room temp) or 12–15 minutes (from frozen).
Gravy: Cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking often, and thin with a splash of milk as needed (it thickens as it sits).
Make-ahead tip: You can bake the biscuits earlier in the morning and hold them wrapped in foil in a 200°F (93°C) oven for up to 45 minutes. Make the gravy right before serving for the best texture.
Nutrition (per serving)
Approximate, based on 8 servings (2 biscuits + gravy): 780 calories, 44 g fat, 73 g carbs, 24 g protein, 3 g fiber, 1250 mg sodium. Values will vary by sausage brand and how much gravy you serve.
