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Southern US · American

Biscuits and sausage gravy

Non-vegetarian

Tall, flaky buttermilk biscuits split open and smothered in a peppery cream gravy made with crumbled pork sausage — a hearty Southern breakfast.

Biscuits and sausage gravy is a Southern US bread from United States, ready in about 45 minutes and made with all-purpose flour and pork sausage. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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A serving of Biscuits and sausage gravy
Photo: mccartyv / Pixabay · Pixabay Content License
Prep
20 min
Cook
25 min
Total
45 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
919

Ingredients

4 servings

Biscuits

Gravy

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 230 °C. Whisk (opens in a new tab) the flour, baking powder (opens in a new tab), soda and salt in a bowl. Rub or cut in the cold butter until the pieces are the size of peas.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Stir in the buttermilk (opens in a new tab) just until a shaggy dough forms. Pat it out 2 cm thick, fold in half twice, pat out again and cut 8 rounds straight down without twisting.

    • 6 min

    Folding creates the flaky layers; twisting the cutter seals the edges and stops the rise.

  3. Step 3

    Place the biscuits touching on a lined tray and bake until tall and golden.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile brown the sausage (opens in a new tab) in a frying pan over medium heat, breaking it into crumbles, until no pink remains.

    Food safety: Cook pork sausage through to 71 °C with no pink.

  5. Step 5

    Sprinkle the flour over the sausage (opens in a new tab) and its fat and stir for 1 minute. Slowly whisk (opens in a new tab) in the milk (opens in a new tab) and simmer, stirring, until thick. Season with pepper (opens in a new tab), salt and cayenne.

  6. Step 6

    Split the warm biscuits and spoon the gravy over them.

    • 1 min
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
American South, United States · Well documentedMore food from United States
Dish
Breakfast · Brunch · Breads & flatbreads · Main courses
Cooking method
Oven-baked, Pan-fried, Simmered
Taste
savoury, peppery, buttery, creamy
Diet
No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Cook more with
All-purpose flour · Pork sausage · Baking powder · Baking soda · Unsalted butter · Buttermilk
Techniques
Baking · Pan-frying · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom unsalted butter, buttermilk, milk
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder, pork sausage
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder, pork sausage
  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom pork sausage

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

919 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 434 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 13%
  • Carbohydrate 34%
  • Fat 53%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy919 kcal212 kcal
Protein29.6 g6.8 g
Carbohydrate77.6 g17.9 g
Net carbohydrate75.2 g17.3 g
Sugars12.5 g2.9 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre2.4 g0.6 g
Fat54.1 g12.5 g
Saturated fat26.6 g6.1 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol149 mg34 mg
Sodium1967 mg453 mg
Salt equivalent4.9 g1.1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
612 mg
Calcium
476 mg
Iron
6.1 mg
Magnesium
59 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
277 µg
Vitamin C
1 mg
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
1.9 µg
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: cayenne / chilli powder.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Freeze the cubed butter for 10 minutes before using for the flakiest biscuits.

Common mistakes

  • Overworking the biscuit dough, which makes them tough and flat.

Serve with

  • Serve with fried eggs and coffee.

Storage

  • Biscuits keep 2 days in a tin; gravy 3 days in the fridge.

Reheating

  • Warm gravy with a splash of milk; refresh biscuits in a hot oven for 5 minutes.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The body of the dish

Gravy

Used in steps 1, 4, 5

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 20 min

    Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.

  2. Bake · about 14 min at 230 °C

    Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.

  3. Start to finish: about 34 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Crust too hard or thick

    Likely causes

    • Baked too long at too low a temperature
    • No steam at the start

    What to do

    • Bake hotter for a shorter time
    • Add steam for the first 15 minutes (tray of boiling water, or a covered Dutch oven)
    • Cool under a tea towel for a softer crust

Reviews & corrections

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