Southern Sourdough Biscuits and Gravy Recipe
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This southern sourdough biscuits and gravy recipe is classic country comfort food. The biscuits are buttery and tender with a touch of sourdough tang. And they are smothered in a simple scratch-made sausage gravy.
This meal is a part of my regional and family traditions. And I’m so excited to share it with you.
Table of Contents
I’d never heard of biscuits and gravy when I first moved to North Carolina. The first time I had it was at a McDonald’s drive-thru (yes, they even serve biscuits and gravy at McDonald’s in the South).
Since then, it’s become one of my favorite breakfasts and a family favorite, too.
But 20 years later, finding good sausage gravy is a challenge. Our little beach town has filled with newcomers, and classic Southern meals are getting lost in the shuffle.
I’ve been served biscuits with “sausage gravy” that had cheese, tomatoes, and, once, even chicken in it.
So, to bring it back to its roots, I’m sharing my go-to classic biscuits and gravy recipe.
The sourdough twist isn’t traditional, but it adds a delicious tang and helps use up extra discard.
You can add sourdough discard to any recipe, so if you already have a family favorite biscuit recipe, you can easily turn it into a sourdough one.
As for the gravy? Just sausage, fat, flour, and milk. Simple, classic, and comforting.
Really, this is how biscuits and gravy should be done.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Comforting: This dish is classic Southern comfort food—warm, hearty, and full of nostalgic country flavors.
- Sourdough: The sourdough starter in the biscuits adds a delicious tang and can be long-fermented for extra health benefits.
- Simple: Like most comfort food recipes, this biscuit and gravy recipe uses simple ingredients that you likely have on hand.
- Family Favorite: Sourdough biscuits and gravy is one of my family’s all-time favorite meals. It’s just so delicious!
Ingredients
- Flour: I usually use all-purpose flour. But you can also use bread flour or whole wheat flour. You can also use fresh-milled flour for additional health benefits.
- Sourdough Discard: You can use either active or inactive discard in any sourdough discard recipe. If you’re new to sourdough, grab my free sourdough starter eBook to learn how to make your own!
- Sausage: Ground country sausage is key. You can also remove the casings from breakfast sausage and break it up as it cooks.
- Butter: Cold butter makes the biscuits tender and delicious. Stick it in the freezer 30 minutes before getting started.
- Milk and Vinegar: I never finish a whole container of buttermilk, so I make a quick substitute with milk and vinegar. But you can use plain milk or real buttermilk instead.
Grab the full list of ingredients in the printable recipe card below!
Tools You May Need
- Pastry Cutter: This makes adding the butter easy, but a fork works, too.
- Skillet: You’ll need a skillet or baking sheet for the biscuits and another skillet for the gravy. I love my Lodge 13.25″ cast iron skillet for making these biscuits. Check out my cast iron skillet size guide to find the right one for you.
- Biscuit Cutter: If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, a glass or cookie cutter works just as well.
How To Make Sourdough Biscuits and Gravy
Step 1: Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400° F and grease a large cast iron skillet. Or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: Combine the mix and vinegar in a small bowl (or skip this step and use buttermilk). Set aside.
Step 3: Grate the frozen butter on a box grater. Put the grated butter back into the freezer while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
Step 4: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.
Step 5: Cut in the frozen shredded butter with a biscuit cutter or fork until it resembles pea-sized crumbs. Don’t overdo it here. The butter doesn’t have to be fully combined.
Step 6: Add the milk mixture and sourdough starter.
Step 7: Mix with a spoon until combined. Then, use your hands to ensure no dry ingredients remain. The dough should come together to form a ball, but don’t overwork it.
Step 8: Turn out the biscuit dough onto a floured counter or work surface. Use your hands or a rolling pin to shape the dough 1″ thick. Use a biscuit cutter or a glass to cut the biscuits. Reshape the leftover dough to cut more biscuits if needed.
Step 9: Transfer the biscuits to the prepared skillet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are golden.
Step 10: While baking biscuits, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat.
Step 11: Once the sausage is thoroughly cooked, add the butter and flour to the sausage. Stir to combine and cook for about a minute.
Step 12: Slowly pour in the milk. Bring to a gentle simmer while stirring constantly. Cook until the gravy thickens, about 5-10 minutes.
Step 13: Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over warm sourdough biscuits.
Tips for Success
- Freeze the Butter: Cold butter is the secret for delicious biscuits! Pop it in the freezer before grating and keep it frozen while you mix everything else.
- Experiment with Fresh-Milled Flour: Fresh-milled flour adds rich flavor and extra nutrition. New to milling flour? Check out my beginner’s guide to milling flour at home.
- Don’t Overwork the Dough: Too much mixing strengthens the gluten, making the biscuits chewy. Just mix until combined.
- Watch the Salt: Some ground sausage is already salted, so taste the gravy before adding more salt and pepper.
Country Cooking Vlog
Check out how I made biscuits and gravy in this country cooking vlog. I’m also sharing other southern classics like chicken and pastry and chicken fried steak!
Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more inspiration. New videos come out weekly!
How To Long Ferment Sourdough Biscuit Dough
This is a no-wait discard recipe, meaning it is not long-fermented. If you want to reap the benefits of fermented grains, follow these simple steps:
- Mix the vinegar and milk together. Grate the butter using a box grater. Set both aside.
- Combine all the dry ingredients except the salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Cut the butter into the flour. Then, add the milk mixture and sourdough starter. Mix until a dough forms.
- Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let it ferment at room temperature for 10-12 hours or overnight. For a cold ferment, you can keep sourdough dough in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- When ready to bake, add the salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Mix together and follow the recipe as usual.
How To Store Leftovers
Store leftover sausage gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Leftover sourdough biscuits can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
To reheat: Warm the gravy on the stove or in the microwave, adding a little milk if it needs to be thinned.
Warm the biscuits separately in the oven or microwave. Then, pile them high with gravy.
FAQs
Definitely! Of course, fresh biscuits always taste the best. But you can make these sourdough biscuits up to 3 days in advance. Just store them in the fridge until you are ready to use them.
Yes! Just follow the recipe up to cutting the biscuits, then freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 1–2 hours. Once solid, transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. You can even bake them straight from frozen!
You can definitely use discard straight from the fridge for sourdough biscuits and for most discard recipes.
I have not tested this, but you can thicken gravy with discard. Just add 1/4 to 1/2 cup to the cooked sausage instead of flour, cook for a minute or two, then add the milk and continue as usual.
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Sourdough Biscuits and Gravy
Ingredients
Biscuit Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk, 240 g
- 1 tbsp white vinegar, 15 g
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 300 g
- 1 1/2 tsp salt, 9 g
- 1 tbsp sugar, 13 g
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 6 g
- 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2.5 g
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard, active or inactive (120 g)
- 8 tbsp butter, unsalted and frozen (113 g)
Sausage Gravy Ingredients
- 1 lb ground country sausage
- 3 tbsp butter, bacon grease, or beef tallow (42 g)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 30 g
- 3 cups whole milk, 720 g
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
BISCUIT INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400° F and grease a large cast iron skillet (I use a 13.25" skillet). Or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the Buttermilk. Combine the mix and vinegar in a small bowl (or skip this step and use buttermilk). Set aside.
- Prep the Butter. Grate the frozen butter on a box grater. Put the grated butter back into the freezer while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Cut in the Butter. Cut in the frozen shredded butter with a biscuit cutter or fork until it resembles pea-sized crumbs. Don't overdo it here. The butter doesn't have to be fully combined.
- Add the Wet Ingredients. Add the milk mixture and sourdough starter.
- Combine into Dough. Mix with a spoon until combined. Then, use your hands to ensure no dry ingredients remain. The dough should come together to form a ball, but don't overwork it.
- Cut the Biscuits. Turn out the biscuit dough onto a floured counter or work surface. Use your hands or a rolling pin to shape the dough 1" thick. Use a biscuit cutter or a glass to cut the biscuits. Reshape the leftover dough to cut more biscuits if needed.
- Bake. Transfer the biscuits to the prepared skillet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are golden.
GRAVY INSTRUCTIONS
- Brown the Sausage. While baking biscuits, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the Flour and Butter. Once the sausage is thoroughly cooked, add the butter and flour to the sausage. Stir to combine and cook for about a minute.
- Add the Milk. Slowly pour in the milk. Bring to a gentle simmer while stirring constantly. Cook until the gravy thickens, about 5-10 minutes.
- Season and Serve. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over warm sourdough biscuits.
Notes
- How many biscuits you can cut depends on how thick you roll the dough and how large your cutter is. I usually cut 6.
- Use active or inactive starter.
- Some ground sausage is already salted, so taste the gravy before adding more salt and pepper.
We just made this (again) yesterday. And it also makes for delicious leftovers!