Sourdough Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Sourdough biscuits and gravy are a very good reason to use the discard sitting in your fridge. The biscuits have buttery layers and a little tang, and the sausage gravy comes together in one skillet while they bake.

There is no overnight rise here. Baking powder does the lifting, the discard adds flavor, and cold butter helps make the layers. It is a from-scratch breakfast with a pretty straightforward plan … biscuits in the oven, gravy on the stove, coffee somewhere within reach.

How to Make Sourdough Biscuits and Gravy

These are quick discard biscuits rather than a long-fermented dough. Use a plain starter maintained with equal weights of flour and water, also called 100% hydration. A thicker or thinner starter changes how much buttermilk the dough needs.

The goal is a shaggy dough that holds together when pressed, not a smooth dough you knead like sandwich bread. A few folds are enough.

Sourdough Discard Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Buttery sourdough discard biscuits with a skillet of creamy, peppery breakfast sausage gravy.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Chill time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Biscuits

• 2 cups 250 g all-purpose flour, plus a little for the counter
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup 113 g cold unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup 120 g cold sourdough discard, stirred down, 100% hydration
• 1/2 cup 120 ml cold buttermilk, plus up to 2 tablespoons more if needed
• 1 tablespoon 14 g melted butter, optional, for brushing after baking

Sausage Gravy

• 1 pound 454 g pork breakfast sausage
• 0-2 tbsp tablespoons unsalted butter as needed to make about 4 tablespoons total rendered fat in the skillet
• 1/4 cup 31 g all-purpose flour
• 3 cups 720 ml whole milk, plus a splash more if needed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper plus more to taste
• Fine salt to taste, after the sausage is cooked

Method

 

1. Prepare the biscuits. Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add cold butter. Grate the cold butter into the flour or cut it in with a pastry cutter until you have a mixture of coarse crumbs and pea-sized butter pieces. If the butter softens, chill the bowl before continuing.
3. Add discard and buttermilk. Whisk the discard and 1/2 cup buttermilk together, then gently stir into the flour mixture. Stop when a shaggy dough forms. If dry flour will not incorporate when pressed, add extra buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time, just until the dough holds together. Do not make it wet or batter-like.
4. Fold the dough. Turn onto a lightly floured counter. Press into a rectangle, fold into thirds like a letter, and turn it. Repeat this fold two more times, using a light hand. Pat the dough about 1 inch thick.
5. Cut and chill. Cut with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, pressing straight down without twisting. Gently bring scraps together once to cut the remaining biscuits. Expect about 8, depending on thickness and how much dough you reroll. Set close together on the baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
6. Bake. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until the tops are golden and the centers are cooked through. Brush with melted butter if desired.
7. Brown the sausage. While the biscuits bake, cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it into crumbles, until browned and cooked through. For pork sausage, check that it reaches 160°F. Leave the crumbles in the pan. Keep about 4 tablespoons rendered fat; spoon off excess if necessary, or add butter if the sausage is lean.
8. Cook the flour. Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and fat. Stir for 1–2 minutes so the flour is evenly moistened and loses its raw smell.
9. Add milk and simmer. Gradually stir or whisk in the milk, scraping up the browned bits. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring often, for 5–8 minutes until creamy and thickened. Add the pepper. Taste before adding salt because breakfast sausage may already be salty. Thin with additional milk if needed.
10. Serve. Split the warm biscuits and spoon the sausage gravy generously over them. Gravy thickens as it stands; stir in a little more milk over low heat if needed.

Notes

This recipe uses all-purpose flour. Fresh-milled flour is not a tested one-for-one substitution in this reconstruction.

No buttermilk? Stir 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar into enough milk to make 1/2 cup. Let stand 5–10 minutes. This is a practical substitute; texture can differ slightly.

Active starter at the same hydration can work, but weigh it rather than measuring it while bubbly. There is no proofing stage.

Choose a breakfast sausage whose ingredient list suits your preferences. For turkey or chicken sausage, cook to 165°F and expect to add butter because it is often leaner.

How to keep the biscuits flaky

Keep the butter cold, use a light hand, and resist the urge to knead the dough smooth. Those little pieces of butter are part of the plan. Cutting straight down also helps avoid compressing the biscuit edges.

Fixing gravy that is too thick or too thin

Too thick? Add milk a small splash at a time. Too thin? Give it a few more minutes at a gentle simmer. The gravy will thicken further as it cools, so pull it from the heat while it is still spoonable.

Make sourdough biscuits and gravy ahead and store

For the best texture, bake the biscuits fresh and keep any leftovers separate from the gravy. Refrigerate leftover gravy promptly in a shallow, covered container and use within 3–4 days. Reheat in a saucepan with a splash of milk, stirring until hot throughout; leftovers should reach 165°F.

Keep cooled biscuits airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 2 months for best quality. Rewarm thawed biscuits in a 350°F oven until heated through.

Can I make only the biscuits?

Yes … the biscuit portion stands on its own. Serve them with butter and jam or use them for breakfast sandwiches. Leave the gravy ingredients out of your shopping list. Looking for quality organic flour? Check out what Thrive Market has to offer and enjoy 40% off your first box.

Have more discard?

For something sweet to go with your breakfast plans, save my brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies!