# Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Biscuits and gravy is a Southern breakfast of tall, buttery biscuits under a creamy, peppery sausage gravy. It is hearty, comforting and ready in 45 minutes.

Cold butter makes the biscuits flaky, and a simple flour roux makes the gravy smooth and thick.

- Total time: 45 min (prep 20 min, cook 25 min)
- Serves: 6
- Per serving (estimated): 560 kcal, 17 g protein
- Cuisine: American. Category: Breakfast.

## Ingredients

- 300 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 115 g cold butter, cubed
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) cold buttermilk
- 450 g breakfast sausage
- 1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour, for the gravy
- 3 cups (720 ml) whole milk
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 1 pinch cayenne

## Method

1. Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Whisk 300 g flour, baking powder, sugar and 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl.
3. Cut in the cold butter with your fingers or a pastry cutter until it looks like coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces.
4. Stir in the cold buttermilk until a shaggy dough forms. Turn onto a floured counter and fold it over itself 4 times, pressing to 1 inch thick.
5. Cut 6 biscuits with a 3 inch cutter, pressing straight down without twisting. Place them touching on the sheet.
6. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until tall and deep golden brown.
7. While the biscuits bake, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains and it reaches 160°F (71°C). Leave the fat in the pan.
8. Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour over the sausage and stir for 1 minute, until it smells toasty and coats everything.
9. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking, and simmer over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, until the gravy is thick enough to coat a spoon. Season with pepper, salt and cayenne.
10. Split the warm biscuits and ladle the hot gravy over the top.

## Why it works

- Cold butter melts in the oven and makes steam pockets, which puff the biscuit into flaky layers.
- Folding the dough a few times builds layers without overworking it, so the biscuits stay tender.
- Cutting straight down, without twisting, keeps the edges open so the biscuits can rise tall.
- Cooking the flour in sausage fat for a minute removes the raw flour taste and makes a roux that thickens the milk.
- Adding the milk slowly while whisking prevents lumps and gives a silky gravy.

## The science

- **Cold butter makes flaky layers.** When pieces of cold butter hit a hot oven, the water in them turns to steam and puffs the dough apart as the fat melts into the flour. Warm butter blends in too early and leaves a tight, bread-like biscuit.
- **A roux thickens the gravy.** Flour starch granules swell and thicken liquid when heated. Coating them in fat first keeps them from clumping, and adding the milk gradually lets them hydrate evenly. A few minutes of simmering finishes the thickening.

## Tips

- Freeze the butter for 10 minutes before cutting it in for the flakiest biscuits.
- Season the gravy at the end, since the sausage is already salty.
- Thin the gravy with a splash of milk if it thickens while standing.

## Mistakes to avoid

- Twisting the cutter seals the edges and stops the biscuits from rising, so press straight down.
- Adding the milk all at once makes lumpy gravy, so pour it in slowly while whisking.
- Overworking the dough makes tough biscuits, so mix only until it comes together.

## Variations and swaps

- Add 1/2 cup shredded cheddar and chives to the biscuit dough.
- Use spicy sausage and a pinch of red pepper flakes in the gravy.
- Make mushroom gravy with browned mushrooms instead of sausage.
- Swap buttermilk for milk mixed with 1 tbsp lemon juice; the biscuits are a little less tangy.
- Swap the breakfast sausage for ground turkey sausage with an extra spoon of butter.
- Swap the homemade biscuits for refrigerated biscuits when you are short on time.

## Storage

Store biscuits at room temperature for 2 days and gravy in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gravy gently over low heat with a splash of milk until it reaches 165°F (74°C).

## FAQ

**How do I make sausage gravy without lumps?**

Cook the flour in the sausage fat for a full minute, then add the milk slowly while whisking constantly. Lumps form when the milk is added too quickly.

**Why are my biscuits flat?**

Flat biscuits usually come from warm butter, old baking powder or twisting the cutter. Keep everything cold, check your leavening, and press the cutter straight down.

**Can I make the gravy ahead?**

Yes, make it up to 4 days ahead and reheat it with a splash of milk. Stir often so it does not scorch.

**What sausage is best for gravy?**

Pork breakfast sausage, mild or sage, gives the classic flavor. Any fresh ground sausage with enough fat will work.

**Can I freeze biscuits?**

Yes. Freeze the unbaked cut biscuits on a tray, then bake from frozen, adding 3 to 5 minutes. Baked biscuits also freeze for 2 months.

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Source: https://cookingscientist.com/recipes/biscuits-and-sausage-gravy (Cooking Scientist). Learn the science of cooking in the Cooking Scientist app for iPhone and iPad: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6830326846