Biscuits and Gravy

My college roommate\'s grandmother from Alabama taught us to make this on a hungover Sunday morning, standing in her tiny kitchen in floral pajamas while she told stories about feeding farmhands. She swore the secret was cold butter and patience. Now every time I smell sage and pepper simmering in milk, I\'m back in that sunny kitchen, learning that some recipes are worth passing down exactly as they are.

I made this for my husband\'s birthday breakfast last year, doubling the gravy because he loves extra pepper. He ate three biscuits and said it reminded him of Sunday mornings at his grandmother\'s house in Georgia. Sometimes the simplest meals hold the biggest memories.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour: The foundation for tender biscuits. Measure by spooning into your measuring cup and leveling off for accuracy.
• 1 tablespoon baking powder: This gives your biscuits their rise. Make sure it\'s fresh by checking the expiration date.
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda: Works with the buttermilk for extra lift and that classic biscuit flavor.
• 1 teaspoon salt: Enhances all the flavors and balances the richness of the butter and gravy.
• 1 tablespoon sugar: Just enough to help the biscuits brown beautifully without making them sweet.
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed: Cold butter creates those flaky layers. Cut it into small cubes and keep it in the fridge until the last second.
• 3/4 cup cold buttermilk: The acid reacts with the baking powder for tall, tender biscuits. If you don\'t have buttermilk, mix regular milk with a tablespoon of vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes.
• 1 pound breakfast sausage: Mild gives a classic flavor, but spicy adds a wonderful kick. Choose good quality pork sausage with plenty of fat for the best gravy.
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour: This thickens your gravy into silky perfection. Sprinkle it evenly to prevent lumps.
• 3 cups whole milk: Whole milk makes the richest gravy. You can get away with 2%, but skip anything leaner.
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper: This is the star of the show. Freshly cracked pepper makes all the difference.
• 1/4 teaspoon salt: Start with this and adjust. Sausage varies in saltiness, so taste first.
• Pinch of cayenne pepper: Optional but recommended for a gentle warmth that complements the black pepper beautifully.

Instructions

Get your oven ready:

Preheat to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. A hot oven is crucial for that initial burst of rise that makes biscuits tall.

Mix the dry ingredients:

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Make sure everything is evenly distributed.

Cut in the butter:

Add those cold butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work them in until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Those butter pockets create the flaky layers.

Add the buttermilk:

Pour in the cold buttermilk and stir gently with a spatula just until the dough comes together. It will look shaggy and messy, and that\'s exactly right.

Fold and pat:

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and gently pat it to 1-inch thickness. Fold it over itself like a letter two or three times, then pat to 1-inch thickness again. This creates even more flaky layers.

Cut the biscuits:

Use a 2.5-inch cutter and press straight down without twisting. Place them close together on the baking sheet so they rise upward, not outward.

Bake until golden:

12 to 15 minutes should do it. You want them deeply golden brown on top. Let them cool slightly while you make the gravy.

Cook the sausage:

In a large skillet over medium heat, break up the sausage and cook until browned and cooked through. Take your time here to get good browning, that\'s where the flavor lives.

Make the roux:

Sprinkle the flour over the browned sausage and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. This cooks out the raw flour taste and forms the base of your gravy.

Add the milk slowly:

Pour in the milk gradually, whisking constantly. Take your time, this prevents lumps and ensures smooth, silky gravy.

Simmer and season:

Bring to a gentle simmer and add the black pepper, salt, and cayenne. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until thickened enough to coat a spoon.

Put it all together:

Split those warm biscuits open and ladle the hot gravy generously over the top. Serve immediately while everything is still hot.

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My daughter asked me to teach her this recipe last weekend, standing on a step stool at the counter with flour in her hair. She told me she wants to make it for her own family someday. Some mornings, cooking feels like weaving threads between generations.

Getting the Perfect Biscuit Texture

The difference between okay biscuits and great ones comes down to temperature. Keep everything cold, work quickly, and get them into a hot oven immediately. I once made the mistake of letting the dough sit too long on the counter while I answered the phone, and those biscuits were dense as hockey pucks.

Mastering the Gravy

Gravy is all about confidence and patience. Don\'t panic if it looks thin at first, it will thicken as it simmers. And remember that you can always add more milk or more flour, but you can\'t take either back. My rule of thumb is to season more aggressively than you think you need, because the bland biscuits will soak up a lot of that flavor.

Make Ahead Tips

You can cut the biscuits the night before and freeze them on the baking sheet, then bake straight from frozen, adding a couple extra minutes. The gravy reheats beautifully over low heat with a splash of milk. I learned this trick when hosting brunch for twelve people and nearly lost my mind trying to do everything at once.

• Freeze leftover biscuits individually and reheat in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes
• The gravy keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days and gets even better
• If you only have self-rising flour, omit the baking powder and salt in the biscuits

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There\'s something profoundly comforting about biscuits and gravy, like a warm hug on a plate. I hope this recipe finds its way into your weekend rotation and your heart.

Recipe Questions

→ What makes biscuits flaky?

Cold butter is the secret to flaky biscuits. When the cold butter cubes are cut into the flour, they create small pockets of fat that melt during baking, producing steam and creating layers. Handling the dough minimally and keeping everything cold prevents the butter from melting too early.

→ Can I make the gravy ahead of time?

Yes, the sausage gravy reheats beautifully. Make it up to 2 days in advance and store in the refrigerator. Reheat gently over low heat, adding a splash of milk if it becomes too thick. For best results, bake fresh biscuits the day of serving.

→ What type of sausage works best?

Breakfast sausage links or patties removed from casings work perfectly. Both mild and spicy varieties create delicious results. For a leaner gravy, you can drain excess fat before adding the flour, though some fat is needed for proper thickening and flavor.

→ Why does my gravy get lumpy?

Lumps form when flour clumps instead of dispersing evenly. To prevent this, sprinkle the flour over the browned sausage and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes before adding milk. When pouring in the milk, whisk vigorously and add it gradually rather than all at once.

→ Can I freeze leftover biscuits?

Absolutely. Once completely cooled, wrap biscuits individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes. They'll taste nearly as good as fresh.