Southern Comfort · Free recipe
Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
Flaky, sky-high buttermilk biscuits smothered in a peppery, creamy sausage gravy. The definitive Southern breakfast that eats like a warm hug.
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 425 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2
In a large bowl, whisk the 3 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt together.
Step 3
Add the cold cubed butter. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, work it into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-size butter pieces. Those butter bits create flaky layers, so do not overwork it and keep everything cold.
Step 4
Pour in the cold buttermilk and stir with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. Do not knead it smooth; overworking makes tough biscuits.
Step 5
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and pat it into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Fold it in thirds like a letter, then pat out again. Repeat this fold two more times to build flaky layers.
Step 6
Pat the dough to 1 inch thick a final time. Cut straight down with a floured 2.5 inch round cutter, pressing without twisting, since twisting seals the edges and stops the rise.
Step 7
Place the biscuits on the baking sheet so their sides just touch; this helps them rise tall. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown on top.
Step 8
While the biscuits bake, make the gravy. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, breaking it into crumbles, for 6 to 8 minutes until browned with no pink remaining.
Step 9
Sprinkle the quarter cup of flour over the cooked sausage and stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. The mixture will look pasty.
Step 10
Slowly pour in the milk while stirring. Keep stirring for 5 to 7 minutes as it bubbles and thickens into a creamy gravy that coats the back of a spoon.
Step 11
Season the gravy with the half teaspoon salt, black pepper, and cayenne. If it gets too thick, stir in a splash more milk.
Step 12
Split the warm biscuits open, lay them on plates, and ladle the hot sausage gravy generously over the top. Serve immediately.
Tips from the test kitchen
- Keep the butter and buttermilk ice cold for the flakiest biscuits.
- Cut biscuits straight down without twisting so they rise tall and even.
