Classic Biscuits with Sausage Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp cold butter, grated or cut into small pieces
- 3 tbsp cold shortening, grated or cut into small pieces
- 1 cup cold, whole milk buttermilk
- 2 tbsp butter, melted, for brushing
Sausage Gravy
- 1 lb pork breakfast sausage, I prefer medium or hot
- 1/2 cup flour
- 3 1/2-4 cups milk, plus more as needed to thin
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Add the butter and shortening and working quickly, use your fingertips or a pastry blender to work the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and stir with a spatula to form a soft dough. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface. Pat the dough into a rough rectangle and fold it into thirds. Turn it 90 degrees, then roll and fold it again. Roll it about 1 inch thick and cut it into rounds with a biscuit cutter anywhere from 1-2 inches in diameter (or even bigger if you want to make biscuit sandwiches!) Gently gather and re-roll the scraps and cut again. Place biscuits close to each other (they can touch!) on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until browned and puffed, about 12-15 minutes. Brush with melted butter and serve with jam, a drizzle of honey, or sausage gravy.
- For Sausage Gravy, in a large straight-sided skillet or medium pot over medium-high heat, crumble and brown the sausage until it is fully cooked. Add the flour and stir continuously, cooking for an additional minute or so. Add 3 1/2 cups of milk and bring to a simmer to fully thicken. Lower the heat and maintain a slow simmer. Season well with salt and pepper. Add additional milk as needed, as the gravy will continue to thicken as it cooks and especially once you remove it from the heat. I like my gravy on the thin side, ladled over freshly baked biscuits. If it’s too thick, it can get pasty as you’re eating it.