Biscuits and Sausage Gravy, Sunday Classic
Fluffy, buttery buttermilk biscuits topped with creamy, pepper-forward sausage gravy—an essential American breakfast classic. This recipe explains the “why” behind each step so you get tender biscuits and lump-free gravy every time.
Biscuits and sausage gravy is one of those dishes that teaches classic American technique in one plate: quick-bread mixing for tenderness and a simple roux for a silky sauce. The key is restraint—handle the biscuit dough lightly and let the flour cook in the sausage drippings just long enough to lose its raw edge. Once you understand those two moves, you can make this Sunday staple on demand.
Total Time
35 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Servings
6
Ingredients
Buttermilk Biscuits
- •2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- •1 tablespoon baking powder
- •1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- •1 teaspoon kosher salt
- •1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional, for a classic lightly sweet biscuit)
- •6 tablespoons (85 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- •3/4 cup (180 ml) cold buttermilk, plus 1–2 tablespoons more if needed
- •2 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing (optional)
Sausage Gravy
- •1 pound (450 g) breakfast sausage (pork), mild or sage
- •3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- •2 1/2 cups (600 ml) whole milk, warmed
- •1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- •1 to 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- •Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment or lightly grease it.
- 2
Make the biscuit dry mix: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar (if using).
- 3
Cut in the butter: Add cold butter cubes and work them in with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-size pieces. Those cold butter pieces create flaky layers.
- 4
Add buttermilk and form dough: Pour in 3/4 cup buttermilk and stir just until a shaggy dough forms. If there are dry patches, add 1–2 tablespoons more buttermilk. Do not overmix.
- 5
Fold for layers: Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle, fold into thirds like a letter, rotate, and repeat once more. Pat to 3/4-inch thickness again.
- 6
Cut and bake: Cut biscuits with a 2 1/2- to 3-inch cutter, pressing straight down (don’t twist). Place biscuits close together on the pan for taller sides. Bake 12–15 minutes, until well-risen and golden. Brush with melted butter if desired.
- 7
Cook the sausage: While biscuits bake, place a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking it into crumbles, until browned and cooked through, 6–8 minutes.
- 8
Build the roux: Sprinkle flour over the sausage. Stir constantly for 1–2 minutes to coat the meat and cook out the raw flour taste; the mixture should look slightly pasty.
- 9
Add milk and thicken: Slowly pour in warmed milk while stirring, scraping the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 3–5 minutes, stirring often, until thickened to a spoon-coating gravy.
- 10
Season and adjust: Stir in salt, plenty of black pepper, and cayenne if using. If gravy gets too thick, loosen with a splash of milk; if too thin, simmer another minute or two.
- 11
Serve: Split warm biscuits and ladle sausage gravy over the top. Finish with extra black pepper for the classic diner-style bite.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Nutrition calculated automatically from ingredients.