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Southern-style biscuits and gravy starts with flaky homemade buttermilk biscuits and ends with a rich sausage gravy that’s thick enough to coat your spoon. This is an easy recipe with simple, from-scratch ingredients.
Here’s Why This Biscuits and Gravy Recipe Works
Flaky biscuits without fuss: No biscuit cutter, no rerolling scraps. Just slice them with a sharp knife.
Make-ahead friendly: Freeze the unbaked biscuits and reheat the gravy with a splash of milk. It all works on your schedule.
Gravy built on drippings: You keep the sausage fat and build the roux right in the pan. It’s where the flavor lives and makes the best sausage gravy.
Like grandma made: Nothing canned, nothing complicated. Just real biscuits, real gravy, and the kind of comfort food that never needed fixing.
Recipe Tips
Use cold butter: Cold chunks = steam pockets = flaky biscuits. Don’t let it soften on the counter.
Fold the dough: Two quick tri-folds build flaky layers without overworking the dough.
Don’t skip the chill: A quick fridge rest before baking helps the biscuits hold their shape and gives them a better rise.
Brown the sausage well: Let it get golden before adding flour. It deepens the flavor of the gravy.
Taste before salting: Some sausages already have plenty of salt. Finish seasoning after the gravy simmers.
Switch up the biscuits: Want something with a twist? Try these sour cream biscuits for a softer crumb. I also have sourdough biscuits if you keep a starter.
Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
This is the kind of biscuits and gravy that earns a spot in your regular rotation. Flaky layers, rich sausage gravy, and real ingredients from scratch. No mix, no mystery. Just classic comfort food done right. Serve it with cheesy scrambled eggs for a hearty breakfast.
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Biscuits and Gravy from Scratch
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Ingredients
Buttermilk Biscuits
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour, 330 grams
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 12 tablespoons butter, cold and cubed; 170 grams
- 1¼ to 1⅓ cups buttermilk, cold; 300 to 315 grams
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream, for the tops
Sausage Gravy
- 1 pound ground pork sausage, mild or spicy
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2½ to 3 cups whole milk, more as needed
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
- salt, to taste (depends on your sausage)
Instructions
Make the Biscuits:
- Preheat to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper.
- Add chilled butter cubes and cut them into the flour with a pastry cutter or your fingers until crumbly with pea-sized bits.
- Pour in 1¼ cups of buttermilk and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Add more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, if it’s too dry.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently press it into a rough mound. If the dough looks dry or there are loose crumbs, just gather them up and either press them into the sides or pile them on top.
- Then shape the dough into a rough rectangle and fold it into thirds, like you’re folding a letter. This helps create layers and also pulls in any dry bits. Just press or sprinkle loose crumbs on top before folding. Give the dough a quarter turn, pat it into a rectangle again, and fold it a second time. Each fold builds structure and flakiness, even if the dough feels a little messy at first.
- Pat the dough into a final rectangle about 9×5 inches and 1 inch thick. Slice the rectangle in half lengthwise to create two long strips, then cut each strip into 5 equal pieces to make 10 square biscuits.
- Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with cream. If your kitchen is warm, chilling the biscuits for 10–15 minutes before baking helps keep the butter cold, which leads to better lift. Bake for 18–24 minutes, or until golden brown.
Make the Sausage Gravy:
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage until it’s fully browned, breaking it into small crumbles as it cooks. Don’t drain the fat, it's the base for the gravy. If the sausage is very lean, add a pat or two of butter to make up the difference.
- Sprinkle flour over the sausage and stir well. Cook for 1 minute to eliminate raw flour taste.
- Slowly pour in the milk while stirring to prevent lumps. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, they add great flavor. Keep stirring until the mixture is smooth, then let it simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the gravy thickens.
- Stir in the black pepper, then taste the gravy before adding any salt. Some sausage is salty enough on its own.
- Split warm biscuits in half and ladle the gravy on top. Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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