Sausage Biscuits and Gravy

Flaky, from-scratch buttermilk biscuits meet a peppery sausage gravy made in one skillet, with optional fried eggs for a generous breakfast plate.

50 min

6 breakfast servings

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp fine salt, divided

1/2 tsp baking soda

8 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 1/4 cups cold buttermilk, plus 1 tbsp for brushing

1 lb breakfast sausage

3 cups whole milk, plus more as needed

1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

6 fried eggs, optional for serving

Large mixing bowl · Pastry cutter or fingertips · Biscuit cutter · Parchment-lined baking sheet · Large skillet · Whisk

Tender biscuit rule

Stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together. Warm butter or a smooth, heavily worked dough makes biscuits tough instead of flaky.

Keep gravy supple

Gravy continues to thicken off heat. Keep extra milk nearby and whisk in a splash over low heat just before serving.

01. Heat the oven to 425 F and line a sheet pan with parchment.

02. Whisk 2 1/2 cups flour with the leaveners and salt, then cut in cold butter until pea-size pieces remain.

03. Fold in cold buttermilk only until shaggy; fold the dough twice for layers and cut six rounds without twisting.

04. Brush the close-set biscuit rounds with buttermilk and bake until tall and deeply golden, 14 to 16 minutes.

05. Brown sausage in a large skillet, breaking it into small pieces and leaving its rendered fat in the pan.

06. Stir the remaining flour into the sausage and cook it for two full minutes; this removes the raw flour taste before milk goes in.

07. Whisk in milk gradually with salt and pepper, then simmer gently until the gravy coats a spoon.

08. Ladle over split warm biscuits. Reheat with a splash of milk if the gravy has thickened, and add optional fried eggs.