Ingredients:

  • 2 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Granulated Sugar
  • ½ cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, ICE COLD and cubed
  • 1 cup Cold Buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon Melted Butter (for brushing tops)
  • 1 pound Bulk Pork Breakfast Sausage
  • ¼ cup Unsalted Butter (or reserved sausage fat)
  • ¼ cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 cups Whole Milk (warm)
  • 1 cup Half-and-Half or Heavy Cream
  • 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons Coarsely Ground Black Pepper
  • ½ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt (or to taste)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. For the Biscuits: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
  3. Cut in the ice-cold butter using a pastry blender or fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
  4. Pour in the cold buttermilk all at once. Gently mix with a fork until just combined; the dough will be shaggy.
  5. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat into a rough rectangle. Fold the dough in thirds (like a business letter). Repeat this folding process 2 more times (3 folds total) to create layers.
  6. Pat or roll dough to ¾-inch thickness. Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter to punch out biscuits, pressing straight down without twisting. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
  7. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter. Bake for 13–16 minutes until golden brown and risen.
  8. For the Gravy: While biscuits bake, cook the sausage in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, breaking it up finely until fully browned. Drain off all but about ¼ cup of the rendered fat (or supplement with butter).
  9. Reduce heat to medium-low. Whisk in the flour to the fat, cooking for 1–2 minutes until it smells nutty—this is your roux.
  10. Gradually whisk in the warm milk until no lumps form. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  11. Whisk in the half-and-half, salt, and the generously measured black pepper. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes more until fully thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  12. Serve immediately: Split the hot biscuits in half horizontally and ladle a generous amount of hot gravy over them.