Instructions

To make the biscuits:

1. Preheat the oven to 500ºF. Spray a 9-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda.
3. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut the butter into the flour until you have coarse crumbs. Fold in the buttermilk. Stir just until blended – the mixture will still be lumpy.
4. Place the remaining 1/2 cup flour in a bowl. Using a 1/4-cup trigger-scoop ice cream scoop, scoop out a ball of the dough and place in the flour. The dough will be very sticky – not like a typical biscuit dough at all. (It is best to use a scoop so that the mixture doesn’t stick to your hands.) Toss the dough gently to coat it in the flour, then place the dough balls in the prepared pan – 9 balls around the outside and 3 balls in the center.
5. Brush the tops of the balls with the melted butter.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 450ºF and bake another 15 minute, or until golden brown.

To make the sausage gravy:

1. Heat the 2 teaspoons of oil in a heavy duty skillet or cast iron skillet. Add the sausage and cook until cooked through, breaking up the sausage as it cooks.
2. Remove the sausage, reserving any fat. If you don’t have 3-4 tablespoons of grease left, add enough bacon grease or butter to make up the difference.
3. Add the flour to the grease, and whisk, allowing the flour to brown and form a dark roux. Keep whisking as you pour in the milk. Whisk to remove any lumps. Cook until the mixture starts to thicken slightly, then stir in the cooked sausage and any additional herbs.
4. Simmer until it is thickened to your liking.
5. Serve the gravy over split biscuits.