Biscuits and Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
- ¾ cup whole buttermilk, cold
- 1 lb fresh breakfast sausage (loose, not links)
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour (for roux)
- 2 cups whole milk, warmed
- ½ tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (for gravy)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter or fingertips until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal with pea-sized pieces remaining. Add cold buttermilk and fold gently until just combined—do not overwork. Turn dough onto a floured surface, fold in half twice (creating lamination), and pat to ¾-inch thickness. Cut into 8 rounds with a 2½-inch biscuit cutter, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
- While biscuits bake, brown the sausage in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into ¼-inch crumbles. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through and beginning to brown. Do not drain the fat—this is essential for the gravy base.
- Reduce heat to medium and sprinkle the 3 tbsp flour directly over the cooked sausage. Stir continuously for 2-3 minutes to create a roux, ensuring the flour coats all the meat and fat. The mixture should be slightly darker than the raw sausage.
- Slowly pour the warmed milk into the skillet while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Continue whisking for 3-4 minutes until the gravy thickens to a consistency that coats the back of a spoon (around 170°F internal temperature). If too thick, add milk by the tablespoon; if too thin, simmer an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Season the gravy with fresh cracked black pepper, cayenne, and kosher salt to taste. Finish by stirring in 2 tbsp cold butter for richness and silky texture. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Split warm biscuits in half and arrange on plates. Ladle 4-5 oz of sausage gravy generously over each biscuit half, ensuring each serving gets ample meat and sauce. Serve immediately while biscuits are still warm and steam rises from the gravy.
Inspired by Melvin "Boots" Johnson’s winning biscuits and gravy. This is a plausible recreation, not the chef’s original recipe.