"Buttermilk" Biscuits & Sausage Gravy

When I was looking through the fridge this morning wondering what I was going to make after my 2 day "vacation" from cooking (since my monthly menu has gotten a bit messed up) I realized I had almost a dozen eggs that were about to expire and a pound of sausage that I didn't get to use on Saturday.  So my first thought was buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy and scrambled eggs.  Only a few problems. 1) No biscuits 2) No buttermilk 3)I have never made biscuits in my life and am frankly a bit scared to.  I started looking for a good biscuit recipe on allrecipes.com and found one with a high star rating.  It did say to store the dough in the refrigerator overnight, but since I was starting the dough at 10:00 am, that would give my dough 7 hours to sit in the fridge which is technically more than I sleep on one given night.  Recipe acquired....check!  I put my biscuit making fear aside and harnessed my inner southern gal.  Time to get my biscuit on!!  YeeeeeeeeHaaaaw!

Buttermilk Biscuits

4 c self rising flour - I have no self-rising flour, but you can make your own by adding 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt to regular all-purpose flour.  So I added 6 tsp baking powder and 2 tsp salt.  Crisis averted!

2/3 c cold butter

2 c. buttermilk - I have no buttermilk, but you can make your own substitute by adding 1 tsp white vinegar to 1 cup milk and letting it stand for 5 mins.  Second crisis averted.  Nothing will stand in my way of biscuits!!

Sausage Gravy

1/4 c butter

1/3 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 c milk

1/2 lb sausage

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.  Obviously if you are using self rising you only sift the flour.

Cut in the cold butter with a fork until well incorporated.  This step does take some time and I ended up using my hands at the end.

Add the "buttermilk" or buttermilk and mix with a fork until you have a soft dough.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead 20 times.  I didn't actually count so I may have kneaded anywhere between 15 and 25 times.  I wouldn't think this would make much of a difference though.  I did notice my dough was pretty sticky because I didn't use real buttermilk (real buttermilk is MUCH thicker).  I had to add maybe another 1/4 cup until it stopped sticking to my hands and I really got to knead it correctly.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and put in fridge overnight (aka all day long for me).

Once dough is ready, turn back out onto a floured surface and roll out with a rolling pin (aka large plastic yellow cup) to about a 1 inch thickness.

This picture shows how hard my Assistant Chef had to work!!  And she doesn't even get paid!!

Apparently baking biscuits is fun because Tyler even made a rare cameo appearance to help today!

Assistant Chef and Senior Assistant Chef hard at work.

Once rolled out, use a floured biscuit cutter (aka disassembled uncrustable maker) to cut out the biscuits.

Continue to re-roll out the dough until you have none left!  It helps to keep coating the biscuit cutter in flour to prevent sticking.

Place biscuit on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Let rest for 5 mins before baking in a 425 degree oven for 12 - 15 mins.  I baked them 10 mins. then took them out, brushed to tops with melted butter and baked for another 5 mins.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Add flour, salt and pepper and stir constantly until browned (about 5-10 mins). 

Whisk in milk until smooth and continue stirring until desired thickness is obtained.

Stir in browned sausage and remove from heat.

Brenna is getting pretty good at cracking eggs!

Finished biscuits!  Yummy!  I don't know why I was so afraid of making biscuits.  They were so easy and delicious.  I will most likely never again buy the nasty refrigerated kind!!

"Buttermilk" Biscuits with Sausage Gravy, Scrambled Eggs with Cheese and Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce I made and canned this past October.

Yummy Biscuits!