Southern Biscuits and Gravy

 For the biscuits:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached 

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup half & half

1/2 tsp vinegar

1 egg

1 1/2 Tbsp Greek yogurt

1/2 cup frozen butter, divided

For the gravy:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup pureed onion, 1 whole small

12 oz package breakfast sausages (use your favorite kind) 

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3/4 cup half & half

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup real maple syrup 

salt and pepper, to taste

For the biscuits:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper and set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.  I l liquid measuring cup stir together all the wet ingredients.  Set aside.

3.  Grate 6 Tbsp of the frozen butter using a cheese grater.  Place the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter into a small bowl.  Pour grated butter into dry ingredients and stir to coat.  Pour in wet ingredients all at once and stir 3 or 4 strokes, just to start incorporating everything together.

4.  Pour biscuit dough onto a well-floured board and start mixing the dough around so it doesn't stick and folding the dough in half over itself to create layers of dough.  Do this 4 or 5 times, sprinkling more flour where needed.  Roll dough out to be 1 inch thick and cut into 2-3 inch biscuits. You should get approximately 8 biscuits.  Place on prepared baking sheet and bake 12 minutes.

5.  While biscuits are baking , melt remaining 2 Tbsp of butter.  After the 12 minutes are up, remove biscuits from oven, brush the tops with melted butter and finish baking another 3-5 minutes, or until the tops are golden.

For the gravy:

1.  Saute pureed onion and breakfast sausage in large skillet over medium heat with olive oil until meat has browned completely.  As the meat cooks, be sure to break apart into smaller pieces.  Sprinkle in flour and cayenne pepper. Stir to moisten flour and cook 1 minute.s  Pour in milk and half & half.  After a minutes or two, gravy should start to thicken.  Once it has thickened remove from heat, stir in maple syrup and salt & pepper to taste.

2.  To serve, split open warm biscuit and top with hot gravy.

 

Serves 6

Recipe: Lauren's Latest