How to Make Biscuits and Gravy
Southern biscuits smothered in sausage gravy

A biscuit gets its flaky layers from small, unmelted pieces of cold butter or shortening trapped inside the dough. In the oven those pieces of fat melt and release steam, and the steam pushes the surrounding layers of dough apart before the structure sets. Warm the fat, overwork the dough, or skip the folding, and you lose the layers along with it, ending up with something closer to a cakey roll than a biscuit.

The gravy is simpler chemistry: a roux, equal parts fat and flour cooked together, thickens the milk evenly instead of leaving raw flour lumps. Cook sausage first for its fat and its flavor, then build the roux right in the drippings.

Southern Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Serves 4, eight biscuits with gravy. Prep 20 minutes, bake 15 minutes, gravy 15 minutes.

Ingredients

For the biscuits:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, very cold, cut into small cubes
  • 3/4 cup cold buttermilk, plus more for brushing

For the gravy:

  • 1 pound breakfast sausage, casings removed if links
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
  2. Add the cold butter cubes and work them into the flour with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible. Keep everything cold.
  3. Pour in the buttermilk and stir just until the dough comes together. It will look shaggy, that is correct.
  4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, pat into a rectangle about 1 inch thick, fold it in thirds like a letter, and pat it out again. Repeat this fold two more times to build layers, then pat to a final 1-inch thickness.
  5. Cut rounds with a biscuit cutter, pressing straight down without twisting, which would seal the edges and block the rise. Place on a baking sheet, touching for softer sides. Brush tops with buttermilk.
  6. Bake 13 to 15 minutes until tall and golden brown on top.
  7. While the biscuits bake, cook the sausage in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it into small pieces, until browned through, about 8 minutes.
  8. Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and its fat and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
  9. Pour in the milk gradually, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Simmer, stirring often, until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Season with pepper and salt.
  10. Split warm biscuits and ladle gravy generously over the top.

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

Estimated for one of four servings, two biscuits with gravy each, not lab verified.

Calories Protein Carbohydrate Fat Fiber Sodium
680 22 g 52 g 42 g 1.5 g 1150 mg

Tips and Variations

  • Freeze the butter: grate frozen butter on a box grater instead of cubing for an even faster, colder mix-in.
  • Cheddar biscuits: fold 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar into the dough after the butter is cut in.
  • Gravy too thick: whisk in more warm milk a splash at a time. Too thin: simmer a few minutes longer, it thickens as it cooks and again slightly as it cools.
  • Make ahead: cut biscuits and freeze unbaked on a tray, then bake straight from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the bake time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why didn't my biscuits rise very much?

The butter likely warmed up before baking, or the dough was twisted when cutting, which seals the edges shut. Work quickly, keep everything cold, and cut straight down.

Can I use a food processor for the biscuits?

Yes, pulse the butter into the flour in short bursts until pea-sized, then turn it out into a bowl and stir in the buttermilk by hand so you do not overwork the dough.

Is the sausage gravy safe if the sausage looked pink at first?

Cook ground sausage to an internal temperature of at least 160F, the USDA safe minimum for ground pork and ground meat blends; color alone is not a reliable doneness indicator, use a thermometer if unsure.

Can I make the gravy ahead and reheat it?

Yes, though it thickens significantly as it cools. Reheat gently over low heat, whisking in a splash of milk to loosen it back to pourable.

Tools for the Job

More Breakfast Recipes

These publish together as a set. The full breakfast index lists all nine in one place.

Who Is Writing This

I am Chef Alan. I have spent 35 years in professional kitchens, I have formal culinary training in New Hampshire, and I have been honored as a 6-time 4-Diamond chef. More about me here. If a step did not make sense, get in touch and I will fix it.

Thank you for cooking this one with us. From all of us at Wine Drop Cookery.

Safe minimum internal temperature for ground pork and sausage from USDA FSIS, Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart.