The Recipe Critic

Biscuits and Gravy

January 27, 2020

Biscuits and Gravy is the ultimate comfort food dish! Tender and flaky homemade biscuits are topped with creamy sausage gravy.

Looking for more easy breakfast recipes? Then try this Cinnamon Bread, Skillet Potatoes with Peppers, or Blueberry Buttermilk Breakfast Cake.

Biscuits and Gravy on a plate.

Biscuits and Gravy

What’s not to love about freshly baked biscuits topped with a luxurious cream sauce? It’s certainly a treat to make for your family on the weekend for breakfast or brunch. Whipping up a batch of biscuits from scratch is easy!

I always use my foolproof buttermilk biscuit recipe and make them jumbo in size since they’re the star of the dish. The gravy is made with hearty pieces of breakfast sausage, simmered in a rich cream sauce. Split the biscuits in half, then generously pile on the gravy. It’s bliss!

stamping out rounds of biscuits from dough

How do you make biscuits and gravy?

  1. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, small pieces of butter, and buttermilk.
  2. Briefly knead the dough, roll out, cut into 4 pieces, stack, roll and then cut into 3-inch round biscuits.
  3. Chill, then brush the biscuits with melted butter.
  4. Bake biscuits at 450ºF until biscuits are golden brown, about 15 minutes.
  5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add the pork sausage. Break up and cook until browned.
  6. Add butter, flour, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper to the pan, stir to combine.
  7. Whisk in the milk and cream, then turn the heat up to medium-high.
  8. Simmer until thickened, season with salt and pepper.

baked biscuits on a sheet pan

How do you make the biscuits sturdy?

The biscuits should be tender and layered in texture, but sturdy enough to hold the gravy on top. I break the chilled butter into small round pieces into the flour. This makes lots of small pockets that when baked don’t crumble apart when gravy is added on top.

Can the biscuits be made in advance?

Yes! The biscuits store well for 3 days in an airtight container or in the freezer for up to 1 month. I recommend reheating them in the oven at 325ºF until they are warm and crisp on the edges.

pouring liquid into a pan of sausage

How do you thicken the gravy?

There are three things that make this gravy rich and smooth: milk, cream, and flour. The flour is combined with butter to make a roux that thickens the liquids when heated up. It takes only a few minutes and constant whisking to see the change. The dairy adds a velvety texture that clings on top of the biscuits.

Can the gravy be reheated?

If you have leftover gravy make sure to cool it completely before storing it in the refrigerator. Simply reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. A little bit of water can be added and whisked in to make the gravy less thick.

sausage gravy cooking in a pan

Looking for brunch ideas? Try these!

Biscuits and Gravy

Biscuits and Gravy is the ultimate comfort food dish! Tender and flaky homemade biscuits are topped with creamy sausage gravy.

Biscuits

  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter plus 2 tablespoons for brushing on top
  • 1 cup buttermilk

Gravy

  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 12 ounces breakfast sausage (casings removed)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream

Biscuits

  1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
  3. Cut 1 cup of butter into ½-inch cubes. Add butter into the flour mixture and toss to coat.
  4. Use fingers to break the butter into small pieces in the flour until the mixture resembles cornmeal.
  5. Gradually add 1 cup buttermilk into the flour mixture, stirring with a fork until incorporated.
  6. Knead the biscuit mixture in the bowl 5 to 6 times until a shaggy dough forms.
  7. Lightly dust working surface with the flour. Turn the mixture onto the floured surface, knead a few times and shape into a 1-inch thick square, about 8 x 8 inches.
  8. Cut the dough into 4 even-shaped squares and stack as evenly as possible on top of each other.
  9. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll the dough out into a 3/4-inch thick square, 9 x 9 inches.
  10. Using a 3-inch floured biscuit cutter, press the cutter straight down into the dough, without turning.
  11. Transfer biscuits to a parchment paper-lined sheet pan.
  12. Gather the dough scraps and form into a ball, then roll out. Cut out 3 more biscuits, 12 total.
  13. Refrigerate the biscuits on a sheet pan for 10 to 30 minutes before baking.
  14. Transfer the biscuits to a new parchment paper-lined sheet pan, spaced 1-inch apart.
  15. Melt 2 tablespoons butter, brush on top of each biscuit.
  16. Bake the biscuits until lightly golden brown on tops and bottoms, about 14 to 18 minutes.
  17. Transfer biscuits to a cooling rack while making the gravy.

Gravy

  1. In a small bowl mix together flour, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
  2. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add pork and break up the meat using a wooden spoon. Cook the pork until no longer pink and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
  3. Melt the butter in the pan. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the sausage, stir and cook until the flour is absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes.
  4. Slowly whisk in the milk and cream, then turn up the heat to medium-high to bring to a boil.
  5. Reduce heat to a rapid simmer, cook and stir occasionally until the sauce is thickened and can coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
  6. Taste the gravy and season with salt and pepper as desired.
  7. Split the biscuits in half and serve sausage gravy on top.

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