Biscuits and Gravy

I am definitely an amateur at biscuit-making.  Last night we made breakfast-for-dinner and Steve declared these the best biscuits he's had in 20-something years so I guess that's a keeper!  I'm learning some tips with biscuits: use cold butter and don't overmix the dough being the main two.  I'll just keep practicing I think and for now I'll keep this recipe as the one to beat.


FOOLPROOF FLAKY BISCUITS
(recipe found here--there are some helpful pictures on the original post)

Yield: 8 to 10 biscuits

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ cup butter, cold, cut into Tablespoons
¾ cup buttermilk, cold (or milk plus 1 tsp of lemon juice; allow to sit for 5 minutes before using)

Instructions
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until pea size pieces.
Add the cold buttermilk all at once and form into a ball.
Roll dough onto a lightly floured surface, into a 6x9-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle into thirds.
Stack each third on top of one another and roll the dough into a 6×9-inch rectangle again.
Using a 2¼ or 2½-inch biscuit cutter, cut 9 (maybe 10) biscuits and place them on a silicone lined baking sheet. Do your best to piece together the scraps and use up all the dough with the layering technique, without overworking the dough or melting the butter with your warm hands. (If any of the edges kind of stick down, I stretch them before baking to help make sure they will grow tall and flaky.)
Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown on top and bottom.
Notes
Store any leftovers in a zip-top bag for 3 or 4 days. I like to re-heat my leftover biscuits, one at a time, in the microwave for 10 to 12 seconds.


SAUSAGE GRAVY
(a recipe courtesy of the Pioneer Woman)

Total Time:45 min
Prep:25 min
Cook:20 min
Yield:12 servings

Ingredients
1 pound breakfast sausage, hot or mild
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 to 4 cups whole milk, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, more to taste
Biscuits, warmed, for serving

Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
With your finger, tear small pieces of sausage and add them in a single layer to a large heavy skillet. Brown the sausage over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle on half the flour and stir so that the sausage soaks it all up, then add more little by little. Stir it around and cook it for another minute or so, then pour in the milk, stirring constantly.

Cook the gravy, stirring frequently, until it thickens. (This may take a good 10 to 12 minutes.) Sprinkle in the seasoned salt and pepper and continue cooking until very thick and luscious. If it gets too thick too soon, just splash in another 1/2 cup of milk or more if needed. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Spoon the sausage gravy over warm biscuits and serve immediately!

Cook Notes: This recipe can be easily doubled to serve 24.