By Elli Holloway – Guest Post
They say food is love, and baby, if that’s true, then biscuits and sausage gravy is a whole sermon on a plate.
I’ve lived in Wimberley all my life—just a winding drive down Ranch Road 12 from Austin, where the cypress trees sway and the Blanco River runs cool even in July. But come November or Christmas morning, or any long weekend when all the babies and grandbabies come home, you’ll find me in my kitchen before the rooster crows, flour dusting my apron, sausage sizzling in the skillet, and the smell of something real Southern filling up the house.
The Soul of Southern Breakfast
Now let me be clear: biscuits and gravy ain’t just breakfast food—it’s a birthright down here in the South. It’s warm, it’s rich, and it feeds not just your belly, but your soul. My mama taught me how to make it when I was a girl, same way her mama did before her, in a cast iron skillet that’s older than some of my grandkids.
When the family gathers—whether it’s Christmas morning or just a lazy Sunday—this dish always finds its way to the table. The kids tear into the biscuits like they haven’t eaten in days, and the men always come back for seconds, bless their hearts.
The Biscuits: Light, Flaky, and Made From Scratch
Forget canned biscuits. Don’t even say it out loud in my kitchen. Real biscuits are made by hand—with cold butter, buttermilk, and a gentle touch. Overworking the dough is a crime punishable by flat biscuits and family disappointment.
I keep my flour in the freezer, just like Mama did, so it stays cool. The butter has to be ice cold, and the secret is in those little bits of unmelted butter that steam inside the dough and make the biscuit rise up tall and proud.
The Gravy: Creamy, Peppery, and Full of Sausage
Now the gravy’s the heart of it all. I don’t use fancy sausage—just a good, fat country-style breakfast sausage from the butcher in town. You brown it up real good, let it stick a little to the bottom of the pan, then build the gravy right on top of all that flavor.
You need flour, milk, and a heavy hand with the black pepper. That’s the way we like it in Texas. Some folks add a pinch of cayenne or a splash of cream if they’re feeling fancy, but I say stick to the basics and make sure it’s seasoned with love (and enough salt).
Edna Mae’s Holiday Biscuits & Sausage Gravy Recipe
This recipe feeds about 6 hungry folks or 4 farm boys.
For the Biscuits:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 3/4 to 1 cup cold buttermilk
Optional: Melted butter for brushing
For the Gravy:
- 1 lb pork breakfast sausage (spicy or mild)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 to 3 cups whole milk (warm)
- Salt and plenty of black pepper to taste
- Optional: pinch of cayenne, 2 tbsp heavy cream for extra richness
Instructions:
Biscuits:
- Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Mix dry ingredients in a big bowl: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers, until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter bits.
- Stir in cold buttermilk just until it comes together. Don’t overmix—it should be shaggy.
- Turn out onto a floured surface and pat into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter, then pat it down again. Repeat once or twice for flakiness.
- Cut biscuits with a floured cutter or glass—don’t twist or they won’t rise right.
- Place on baking sheet with sides touching. Bake 12–15 minutes until golden brown.
- Brush with melted butter (optional but recommended).
Gravy:
- Brown the sausage in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Break it up and let it crisp slightly.
- Sprinkle flour over the sausage and stir well. Cook for about 2 minutes until the flour soaks up the fat and turns golden.
- Slowly stir in the warm milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
- Cook and stir for 5–7 minutes until thick and creamy. Season heavily with black pepper and salt. Taste and adjust. If too thick, add a splash more milk.
To Serve:
Split a warm biscuit in half, spoon over a generous ladle of gravy, and serve with coffee, scrambled eggs, and maybe a little fruit if you’re feeling virtuous.
Closing Words from Wimberley
I’ve served this dish on Christmas mornings, after church on Easter, and even at a few funerals where folks needed something warm and comforting. It brings people together. And to me, that’s what Southern cooking is all about.
So whether you’re from Texas or Timbuktu, if you make these biscuits and gravy with your own two hands and serve it to folks you love, you’re doing it right. Just don’t forget the pepper—and don’t you dare use canned biscuits.
