Biscuit & Sausage Gravy Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly flour it. Make sure your butter and milk are cold.

Mix dry ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon fine salt until evenly combined.

Cut in butter

Add 6 tablespoons cold, cubed unsalted butter to the dry mix. Using a pastry cutter or two forks (or pulse briefly in a food processor), cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

Add milk and form dough

Pour 1 cup cold whole milk into the flour-butter mixture. Stir gently with a fork or spatula until the dough just comes together and no large dry pockets remain. Do not overmix; dough should be slightly shaggy and sticky.

Turn out and fold

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or gently roll the dough into a rectangle about 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick. Fold the dough over itself 2 to 3 times to create layers, pressing lightly — this helps produce flakier biscuits.

Cut biscuits

Pat the dough to an even 3/4- to 1-inch thickness. Using a 2.5-inch round biscuit cutter (or a floured glass), press straight down without twisting to cut out biscuits. Gently press scraps together and re-cut, minimizing handling.

Bake

Place biscuits on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart for slightly crisp sides or touching for taller biscuits. Brush tops with 2 tablespoons heavy cream if using. Bake in the preheated oven for 10–14 minutes, until golden brown on top and cooked through. Remove and cool slightly on a rack while you make the gravy.

Brown the sausage

While biscuits bake, heat a large skillet (10–12 inch) over medium heat. Add 1 lb bulk pork sausage. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is well browned and no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Do not drain away all the fat — you want about 2–3 tablespoons of fat in the pan for flavor. If there is excess fat, spoon off some, leaving 2–3 tablespoons.

Make a roux

Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour evenly over the browned sausage. Stir continuously for 1–2 minutes to cook the flour and remove any raw taste; this will also absorb and thicken the fat and juices in the pan.

Add milk and simmer

Slowly pour in 3 cups whole milk (and up to 1/2 cup chicken stock if you prefer a thinner gravy), stirring constantly to incorporate and break up any lumps. Bring the mixture up to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Continue to stir frequently as the gravy thickens, about 4–6 minutes. If it becomes too thick, add additional milk 1/4 cup at a time to reach desired consistency.

Season and finish

Season the gravy with 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, tasting and adjusting as needed. For a slightly richer finish, stir in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter until melted. Simmer another 1–2 minutes so flavors meld and gravy reaches a smooth, spoonable consistency.

Serve

Split warm biscuits in half and place on plates. Spoon a generous ladle of sausage gravy over each biscuit half (or whole biscuit if preferred). Serve immediately with extra black pepper at the table.