How to Make Easy Homemade Southern Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Updated on March 18, 2016
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Authentic Homemade Southern Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

In today's world people have turned away from making a lot of things from scratch. They have become dependent on processed foods. Biscuits out of a can and gravy from a plastic bag. YUCK!

I can guarantee you that most people have never tasted anything like the combination of real homemade biscuits and gravy. I can't remember how many times I watched my mother and grandmother make this gravy. It is so good that I memorized it from childhood and make it a few times a month as an adult. I was shocked when I found out that a lot of people eat biscuits and gravy out of tubes, plastic bags and cans and that includes what you get at a lot of restaurants.

The hubby loves this. It quickly became his favorite breakfast. Sometimes I even joke and say that the only reason he married me is because of my sausage gravy.

Buttermilk biscuits usually intimidate people but they are really not hard to make once you have done it once or twice. If you can mix a boxed mix or set the stove to the proper temp, you can make buttermilk biscuits. I promise.

The same goes for the gravy. Follow the directions as written and pretty soon you'll be able to make this with your eyes closed! In less than an hour you can have a beautiful, homemade breakfast on the table that is healthier and tastes SO much better than what you can purchase already made at the grocery store and in the majority of the restaurants in your area.

Make it even better by using fresh sausage, milk and buttermilk from a local farmer. The fresher the ingredients, the better the end result and the healthier the meal.

Ingredients for Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

  • 2 cups- All Purpose Flour, for Biscuits
  • 1/4 teaspoon- Baking Soda, for Biscuits
  • 1 Tablespoon- Baking Powder, for Biscuits
  • 1 teaspoon- Sea Salt, for Biscuits
  • 6 Tablespoons- Very Cold Butter, for Biscuits
  • 1 cup- Buttermilk, for Biscuits
  • 1 pound- Pork Breakfast Sausage, for Gravy
  • 3 to 4 Tablespoons- All Purpose Flour, for Gravy
  • 3 cups- Whole or 2% Milk, for Gravy
  • To Taste- Salt, Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, for Gravy

How to Make Southern Buttermilk Biscuits... in Photos

Click thumbnail to view full-size
Flour sifter over the bowl. All of the dry ingredients will be sifted together.All of the dry ingredients sifted together in the bowl.Cut the extra cold butter into small pieces and add it to the dry ingredients.Using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredients.Continue to cut the butter into the mixture until you have small bits of butter and the mixture resembles corn meal.Add the buttermilk to the biscuit mixture.Gently stir just until the dough is combined. Do not over mix it!Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.Start to pat the dough down with your fingers and fold it over onto itself 4 or 5 times.Pat the dough out into a 1" thick rectangle. I used a wine glass because I temporarily misplaced my biscuit cutter to cut the biscuits out of the dough.These first biscuits will be the best of the batch. The more the dough is worked with, the tougher it becomes.Gather the scraps. The second round won't be as good but they are still extremely tasty!Form the scraps into a small square and cut out a couple of more biscuits.I even take the scraps from the second cutting to form one last biscuit.Put the biscuits into a lightly greased pan. I used an iron skillet.Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for approximately 11 minutes.When the tops become light brown, it's time to take them out.Freshly baked Southern Buttermilk Biscuits waiting to be covered in the most amazing gravy in the world!
Flour sifter over the bowl. All of the dry ingredients will be sifted together.
Flour sifter over the bowl. All of the dry ingredients will be sifted together. | Source
All of the dry ingredients sifted together in the bowl.
All of the dry ingredients sifted together in the bowl. | Source
Cut the extra cold butter into small pieces and add it to the dry ingredients.
Cut the extra cold butter into small pieces and add it to the dry ingredients. | Source
Using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredients.
Using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredients. | Source
Continue to cut the butter into the mixture until you have small bits of butter and the mixture resembles corn meal.
Continue to cut the butter into the mixture until you have small bits of butter and the mixture resembles corn meal. | Source
Add the buttermilk to the biscuit mixture.
Add the buttermilk to the biscuit mixture. | Source
Gently stir just until the dough is combined. Do not over mix it!
Gently stir just until the dough is combined. Do not over mix it! | Source
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. | Source
Start to pat the dough down with your fingers and fold it over onto itself 4 or 5 times.
Start to pat the dough down with your fingers and fold it over onto itself 4 or 5 times. | Source
Pat the dough out into a 1" thick rectangle.
Pat the dough out into a 1" thick rectangle. | Source
I used a wine glass because I temporarily misplaced my biscuit cutter to cut the biscuits out of the dough.
I used a wine glass because I temporarily misplaced my biscuit cutter to cut the biscuits out of the dough. | Source
These first biscuits will be the best of the batch. The more the dough is worked with, the tougher it becomes.
These first biscuits will be the best of the batch. The more the dough is worked with, the tougher it becomes. | Source
Gather the scraps. The second round won't be as good but they are still extremely tasty!
Gather the scraps. The second round won't be as good but they are still extremely tasty! | Source
Form the scraps into a small square and cut out a couple of more biscuits.
Form the scraps into a small square and cut out a couple of more biscuits. | Source
I even take the scraps from the second cutting to form one last biscuit.
I even take the scraps from the second cutting to form one last biscuit. | Source
Put the biscuits into a lightly greased pan. I used an iron skillet.
Put the biscuits into a lightly greased pan. I used an iron skillet. | Source
Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for approximately 11 minutes.
Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for approximately 11 minutes. | Source
When the tops become light brown, it's time to take them out.
When the tops become light brown, it's time to take them out. | Source
Freshly baked Southern Buttermilk Biscuits waiting to be covered in the most amazing gravy in the world!
Freshly baked Southern Buttermilk Biscuits waiting to be covered in the most amazing gravy in the world! | Source

How to Make Sausage Gravy... in Photos

Click thumbnail to view full-size
Brown 1 pound of breakfast sausage in a skillet. Do NOT drain the drippings. You'll need it for the next step.Add 3 to 4 Tablespoons of ALL PURPOSE FLOUR, enough that the flour absorbs the drippings in the pan. Do not use self rising! Stir the flour in with the sausage for 2 to 3 minutes to cook it thoroughly. Add 3 cups of whole or 2% milk. Turn the heat up to medium/high and start stirring slowly.As the gravy starts to thicken, you'll start to be able to see the bottom of the pan as you stir.Once the gravy has thickened, season to taste.When the gravy is done, it will be thick and savory.
Brown 1 pound of breakfast sausage in a skillet. Do NOT drain the drippings. You'll need it for the next step.
Brown 1 pound of breakfast sausage in a skillet. Do NOT drain the drippings. You'll need it for the next step. | Source
Add 3 to 4 Tablespoons of ALL PURPOSE FLOUR, enough that the flour absorbs the drippings in the pan. Do not use self rising! Stir the flour in with the sausage for 2 to 3 minutes to cook it thoroughly.
Add 3 to 4 Tablespoons of ALL PURPOSE FLOUR, enough that the flour absorbs the drippings in the pan. Do not use self rising! Stir the flour in with the sausage for 2 to 3 minutes to cook it thoroughly. | Source
Add 3 cups of whole or 2% milk. Turn the heat up to medium/high and start stirring slowly.
Add 3 cups of whole or 2% milk. Turn the heat up to medium/high and start stirring slowly. | Source
As the gravy starts to thicken, you'll start to be able to see the bottom of the pan as you stir.
As the gravy starts to thicken, you'll start to be able to see the bottom of the pan as you stir. | Source
Once the gravy has thickened, season to taste.
Once the gravy has thickened, season to taste. | Source
When the gravy is done, it will be thick and savory.
When the gravy is done, it will be thick and savory. | Source

How to Make Southern Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy- Step by Step

  1. You'll want to start with the biscuits first and make the gravy while the biscuits are in the oven baking. First thing I do is measure out the butter, cut it into small cubes and pop it into the freezer to ensure that it is REALLY cold.
  2. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Choose a pan that will hold 10 to 12 biscuits. I use a large iron skillet because I think the biscuits cook better in an iron skillet but a cake pan or cookie pan will do. Grease or butter the bottom of the pan and set it aside.
  3. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together into a bowl.
  4. Grab the butter out of the freezer and add all of the butter pieces to the bowl. Using either a pastry cutter or a fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the biscuit mix resembles coarse corn meal.
  5. At this point you will add your buttermilk all at once to the butter/dry ingredient mixture. Give it a few, gentle stirs until it is just incorporated. The mixture will be soggy.
  6. Turn the biscuit dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using your hands, (Do not us a rolling pin on these biscuits, ever!) pat the biscuit dough out and fold it over onto itself like you are closing a book. You'll want to do this 5 times.
  7. After the biscuit mixture has been folded over, pat the dough out to form a rectangle that is 1 inch thick. It will be extremely soft but won't be as soggy as it was when you took it out of the bowl. It will look more like biscuit dough.
  8. Using a biscuit cutter or a wine glass like I did because I couldn't find my biscuit cutter for this batch, cut the biscuits out of the dough. This first cutting will make the best biscuits out of this batch.
  9. Form the scraps into another 1 inch thick piece and cut out as many biscuits as you can. These won't be quite as soft as the first cutting but they will still be good.
  10. Any left over scraps can be formed into a single biscuit. It won't be as soft as the first or second cutting, but it will still be good.
  11. Put the cut out biscuits in the baking pan and bake for approximately 11 minutes until the tops are lightly browned and the biscuits are cooked through.
  12. Once the biscuits are in the oven, it's time to start the gravy. Cook the breakfast sausage until it is crumbled and done. Do NOT remove any of the drippings (grease) from the pan. You will need it for the next step.
  13. Add the 3 to 4 tablespoons of flour. You'll know that you have added enough flour when there is enough flour in the pan to soak up all of the drippings. Cook the flour and sausage for 2 to 3 minutes to make sure the flour is cooked thoroughly.
  14. Add the 3 cups of milk to the sausage/flour mixture in the pan. Turn the heat up to medium/high and start stirring. (You'll probably want to check the biscuits in the oven at this point.)
  15. Continuously stir the gravy. In a few minutes you will notice that it will start to thicken. The trail of your spoon will start to show the bottom of the pan and it will coat the spoon when it is lifted up out of the gravy. Keep stirring and cook for a minute or two more.
  16. Turn off the heat and season to taste.
  17. Put the biscuits on the plate, add the gravy over the top and enjoy!

The Beautiful Results of My Southern Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy Breakfast

YUM!
YUM! | Source

This is one of my all time favorite breakfasts. What is your favorite breakfast food?

Questions & Answers

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      • SusanDeppner profile image

        Susan Deppner 2 years ago from Arkansas USA

        One of our favorites! Recipe sounds good, too. Congrats on HOTD honors today!

      • pstraubie48 profile image

        Patricia Scott 2 years ago from sunny Florida

        Congrats on HOTD....looks good and no doubt my son in law would enjoy some of this.

        Angels are on the way to you this afternoon.

        ps

      • purl3agony profile image

        Donna Herron 2 years ago from USA

        So happy to see this recipe. My husband and I wanted to serve biscuits this year at Thanksgiving and were looking for a great recipe. Thanks for sharing yours! I'm pinning this to my recipe board. Congrats on your HOTD!!

      • Kristen Howe profile image

        Kristen Howe 2 years ago from Northeast Ohio

        Helena, this is delicious. I would love to make it this fall season. Delicious recipe with easy to do instructions on how to make it at home. Congrats on HOTD!

      • rebeccamealey profile image

        Rebecca Mealey 2 years ago from Northeastern Georgia, USA

        Yum. I hope I can make them like I grew up with. This will sure help Thanks and congrats on HOTD!

      • profile image

        Diana Abrahamson 2 years ago

        Love the sound and look of this..never tasted it before!

      • Brigitte Thompson profile image

        Brigitte Thompson 3 years ago from Austin, TX

        This looks so good going to have to make it for breakfast this weekend.

      • Helena Ricketts profile image
        Author

        Helena Ricketts 4 years ago from Indiana

        Yes it is! We had it for lunch again last week. Hubby loves this. :)

      • FlourishAnyway profile image

        FlourishAnyway 4 years ago from USA

        I haven't had this in years but suddenly I am hungry for it again. My husband and I used to make it every Sunday together when we were first married. So good!

      • Helena Ricketts profile image
        Author

        Helena Ricketts 4 years ago from Indiana

        Thanks! If you make it, please be sure to come back and tell me what you think. It really is easy to make and SO GOOD!

      • abetterwaytolive profile image

        Casey Johnson 4 years ago from Sanger, Texas

        MMMMMMM!! This is my favorite breakfast dish of all time! Thanks for laying it out so that it is simple to follow instructions. Great hub! Voted up!

      • Helena Ricketts profile image
        Author

        Helena Ricketts 4 years ago from Indiana

        Thanks Mhatter99! :) I was this morning too.

      • Mhatter99 profile image

        Martin Kloess 4 years ago from San Francisco

        Mmm Mmm I'm there. thank you

      • Helena Ricketts profile image
        Author

        Helena Ricketts 4 years ago from Indiana

        Thanks Crystal! After posting it this evening it's on the menu for us in the morning. It's good stuff!

      • Crystal Tatum profile image

        Crystal Tatum 4 years ago from Georgia

        Nothing better than homemade biscuits and gravy. It's a Southern thing, for sure. It's been a while since I've had this dish, but you've got me hankering for some. Voted up!

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