Biscuits and Gravy

Biscuits

• plain flour300 g
• baking powder1 tbsp
• bicarbonate of soda½ tsp
• salt1 tsp
• butter115 g
• buttermilk240 ml

Sausage gravy

• sausagemeat400 g
• plain flour3 tbsp
• milk600 ml
• black pepper1 tsp
• salt
• cayenne pepper1 pinch

Biscuits

1. 01

   Heat the oven to 220°C and line a baking tray. Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate and salt, then dice the cold butter and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until it looks like coarse crumbs with pea-sized lumps.

2. 02

   Stir in the cold buttermilk just until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overwork it — that is what makes biscuits tough.

3. 03

   Pat into a rectangle, fold it in half, and repeat twice for flaky layers. Pat to 2.5 cm thick.

4. 04

   Cut out 6 rounds with a 7 cm cutter, pressing straight down, then press the scraps together and cut out more rounds. Twisting the cutter seals the edges, so the biscuits rise less and unevenly.

5. 05

   Set the biscuits on the tray touching each other and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until tall and golden.

Sausage gravy

6. 06

   If using sausages, slit the skins and squeeze out the meat. Brown the sausagemeat in a pan, breaking it up, until no pink remains. Leave the fat in — it is the base of the gravy.

7. 07

   Sprinkle over the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring.

8. 08

   Pour in the milk gradually, stirring, and simmer until thick and creamy.

9. 09

   Season heavily with black pepper, and add salt and cayenne to taste.

10. 10

    Split the warm biscuits and spoon the gravy over.