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Loading...This Southern classic layers fluffy buttermilk biscuits under a silky, peppered pan gravy made from browned breakfast sausage crumbles. A staple of roadhouse diners and home kitchens across the South, it is hearty, deeply savory, and best served piping hot.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time40 mins
Servings4
Yield4 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 620 kcalCalories
- 38 gFat
- 17 gSaturated Fat
- 45 gCarbs
- 2 gFiber
- 8 gSugar
- 24 gProtein
- 1180 mgSodium
- 440 mgPotassium
- 240 mgCalcium
- 3.5 mgIron
- 1 mgVitamin C
- 260 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the buttermilk biscuits
- 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) cold whole buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon melted butter for brushing
For the sausage gravy
- 1 pound (450 g) bulk breakfast sausage (mild or hot)
- 1/3 cup (45 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 cups (720 ml) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the cold butter with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse meal with pea-sized pieces.
- Pour in the buttermilk and stir with a fork just until a shaggy dough comes together; do not overmix. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, fold the dough over itself 3 to 4 times, then pat to 1-inch thickness.
- Cut biscuits with a floured 2 1/2-inch round cutter, pressing straight down without twisting. Place them close together on the baking sheet so they rise tall, brush with melted butter, and bake for 14 to 16 minutes until golden brown on top.
- While the biscuits bake, cook the sausage in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, breaking it into bite-sized crumbles with a wooden spoon until deeply browned, about 8 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and stir for 1 minute to cook out the raw taste. Slowly pour in the milk while stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
- Bring the gravy to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring often, for 5 to 7 minutes until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne.
- Split the warm biscuits in half, place them on plates, and ladle the hot sausage gravy generously over the top. Serve immediately.
Cook’s Notes
- Keep the butter, buttermilk, and even the flour cold for the flakiest biscuits; chill the mixing bowl in summer.
- Press the biscuit cutter straight down without twisting to keep the layers from sealing shut and rising tall.
- If the gravy gets too thick, whisk in a splash of warm milk; if too thin, simmer a few minutes longer.
- For extra richness, stir 2 tablespoons of sausage drippings in place of some butter when making the biscuits.
- Leftover biscuits can be stored airtight and re-crisped in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes before serving.
