Biscuits and Gravy

 

My family's favorite breakfast food is Biscuits & Gravy!  I usually make it for dinner and we have enough leftover for everyone to have some in the morning for breakfast too.  These biscuits are SO flaky and tall and buttery and the gravy is rich and creamy.  It's the ultimate comfort food.  

Biscuit Tips

-It's SUPER important that you keep your milk and butter as cold as possible.  To begin, pop 2 sticks (1 cup) of butter in the freezer for at least 20 minutes prior to making your biscuits.  

-Keep your milk in the fridge until the minute you're ready to mix it in.

-Of all the kitchen gadgets I have, I do not own a biscuit cutter.  I never think to buy one.  Maybe one day I'll think of it.  But until then, I always use the ring of a wide mouth canning jar.  They make the perfect size and this recipe will make approximately 12 biscuits using this size of a jar ring.

-When you're cutting your biscuits, push strait down into the dough and do not twist.  Twisting will seal off the edges of the biscuits and keep them from rising.

Biscuit Recipe

5 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

4 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, frozen

2 cups milk (or buttermilk)

Place your butter in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees with the rack positioned in the upper third of the oven.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  Whisk together until well combined.

Use a box grater to grate your frozen butter.  Add the butter pieces to the bowl and gently mix it into the dry ingredients using your hands until the dry ingredients have coated each piece of butter and the butter is  evenly distributed.  Be careful to not let the warmth of your hands melt the butter.  Work kind of fast to get them all coated yet remain frozen.

Pour the cold milk into the bowl and stir until the dough comes together.  It's fine of there are a few bits of flour not yet incorporated.  However, if your dough seems very dry and is not coming together as much as you'd like, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk until it does.  Your dough will be on the dry side though.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat the dough into a 1 1/2 inch thick rectangle (or as close to a rectangle as you can get).  Fold the dough in half on top of itself and pat it down into another 1 1/2 inch thick rectangle.  Repeat this folding process 4-6 times. (This is where all of your delicious flaky layers are made!)

After your last fold, press the dough down into a 1 inch thick rectangle.

Use your biscuit cutter (one that measures approx. 2 1/4 inches) or the ring of a wide mouth jar, and press straight down into the dough without twisting.

Once you've cut out as many biscuits as you can, gather your dough scraps, and pat the dough back into a 1 inch thick piece.  Continue until you've used all of the dough.  Place the biscuits onto your prepared baking sheets.

I have the best results if I bake one sheet at a time.  Place one baking sheet of biscuits into the oven and bake for 14-17 minutes.  My oven takes more around the 17 minute mark but start checking them at 14 minutes.  You want a golden brown bottom and a slightly golden top.

Sausage Gravy

1 lb. ground sausage

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

6 cups milk (whole is best)

salt and pepper to taste

Begin by browning and crumbling the sausage in a skillet.  Do not drain the grease.

Once the sausage is fully cooked, sprinkle the flour over the sausage and cook for approximately 1 minute to get rid of the raw flour taste.

Slowly whisk in the milk.

Stir constantly until the gravy is thick.  

Season with salt and pepper to your liking.  Serve over biscuits.