Biscuits and gravy is not a fancy breakfast, and that is precisely its glory: a pan of fluffy buttermilk biscuits split open and drowned — generously, no apologies — in a creamy sausage gravy with enough black pepper to make its presence known. It is the diner order, the farmhouse table, the Saturday morning that starts slowly and properly.
It lives in our Breakfast collection alongside the other feed-a-crowd anchor, our Easy Sausage Breakfast Casserole, and it shares that recipe’s philosophy: real ingredients, clear timings, and nothing that requires a trip to a specialty store. The biscuits bake while the gravy simmers, so the whole plate lands in about 35 minutes.
The gravy is a simple roux gravy built in the sausage drippings, which is where all its flavor hides. Cook the flour in the fat for a full minute so it loses its raw taste, add the milk gradually while whisking, and season boldly at the end. Gravy forgives almost everything except timidity.
Biscuit rules: cold fat, light hands, no twisting
Tall biscuits come from three habits. The butter and buttermilk must be cold, so the butter stays in pieces that puff into layers in the oven. The dough gets mixed just until it holds together — overworked dough makes tough, squat biscuits. And when you cut, press the cutter straight down without twisting: twisting seals the edges of the dough and stops the rise. A floured 2 1/2 inch (6 cm) cutter or the rim of a glass both work fine.
Getting the gravy thickness right
Gravy thickens as it stands, so pull it off the heat when it coats a spoon and leaves a clean line when you drag a finger across the back — slightly looser than you want at the table. Too thick after standing? Whisk in milk a splash at a time over low heat. Too thin? Simmer two more minutes, whisking; it almost always gets there. Re-season after any adjustment, since added milk dilutes the salt and pepper along with the thickness.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240 g), plus more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (12 g)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (4 g)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (6 g)
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (84 g), cut into small cubes
- 3/4 cup cold buttermilk (180 ml), plus 1 tablespoon for brushing
- 1 lb bulk breakfast sausage (454 g)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (30 g)
- 3 cups whole milk (720 ml)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1.5 g), plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (1.5 g), or to taste
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper, optional
Amounts are for the yield below. US customary measures first, grams in brackets for scale users.
Step-by-step instructions
- Heat the oven and mix the biscuit dough. Heat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment. Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter until the pieces are pea-size, then stir in the cold buttermilk just until a shaggy dough forms.
- Cut and bake the biscuits. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, pat it into a rectangle about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick, fold it in half once for layers, and pat out again. Cut 8 biscuits, pressing straight down. Arrange them nearly touching on the sheet, brush the tops with the extra buttermilk, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes until tall and golden.
- Brown the sausage. While the biscuits bake, cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it into crumbles, until browned and cooked through. Do not drain the fat — it is the base of the gravy. If your sausage was very lean and the pan looks dry, add a tablespoon of butter.
- Build the gravy. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup flour over the sausage and stir constantly for 1 full minute to cook the flour in the drippings. Pour in the milk gradually, whisking as you go to keep it smooth, then bring to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer and season. Simmer the gravy for 3 to 5 minutes, whisking often, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with the black pepper, salt and cayenne if using, then taste and be generous — pepper is not a garnish here, it is an ingredient.
- Split, ladle, serve. Split the warm biscuits, set two halves on each plate and ladle the gravy over them with enthusiasm. Serve immediately, with extra black pepper at the table.
Nutrition estimate
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 540 kcal |
| Protein | 18 g |
| Carbohydrates | 42 g |
| Fat | 33 g |
| Saturated fat | 14 g |
| Sodium | 980 mg |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
Nutrition figures are estimates calculated from standard ingredient data for the yield stated. Your actual values will vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes — treat them as a guide, not a guarantee.
Storage & reheating
The gravy keeps for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator; reheat it gently over low heat with a splash of milk, whisking, since it thickens a lot when cold. Biscuits are best fresh but keep 2 days in an airtight container and revive in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 5 minutes. Unbaked cut biscuits freeze well for up to 3 months — bake from frozen, adding 3 to 4 minutes. Nutrition figures are estimates from standard ingredient data and vary with brands and substitutions.
Easy Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
Fluffy biscuits, peppery cream gravy — the Southern classic, 35 minutes.
Ingredients
Tick ingredients off as you prep, and tap a step below to mark it done as you cook. Scaling adjusts the listed amounts - seasoning to taste stays your call.
Instructions
- Heat the oven and mix the biscuit dough. Heat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment. Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter until the pieces are pea-size, then stir in the cold buttermilk just until a shaggy dough forms.
- Cut and bake the biscuits. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, pat it into a rectangle about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick, fold it in half once for layers, and pat out again. Cut 8 biscuits, pressing straight down. Arrange them nearly touching on the sheet, brush the tops with the extra buttermilk, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes until tall and golden.
- Brown the sausage. While the biscuits bake, cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it into crumbles, until browned and cooked through. Do not drain the fat — it is the base of the gravy. If your sausage was very lean and the pan looks dry, add a tablespoon of butter.
- Build the gravy. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup flour over the sausage and stir constantly for 1 full minute to cook the flour in the drippings. Pour in the milk gradually, whisking as you go to keep it smooth, then bring to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer and season. Simmer the gravy for 3 to 5 minutes, whisking often, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with the black pepper, salt and cayenne if using, then taste and be generous — pepper is not a garnish here, it is an ingredient.
- Split, ladle, serve. Split the warm biscuits, set two halves on each plate and ladle the gravy over them with enthusiasm. Serve immediately, with extra black pepper at the table.
Recipe by Ahsan ul Haq · FryDaily. Printing? This card is designed to print cleanly on its own.
