📝 About This Recipe
This recipe captures the soul of the American South, elevating the humble breakfast sandwich into a gourmet morning ritual. Featuring a sky-high, flaky buttermilk biscuit and a custom-blended sage sausage patty, it offers a perfect balance of buttery richness and savory heat. Whether you're recreating a fast-food favorite or crafting a weekend brunch, this biscuit delivers that signature golden crunch and melt-in-your-mouth interior.
🥗 Ingredients
The Flaky Biscuits
- 3 cups All-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting; high quality like King Arthur)
- 1 tablespoon Baking powder (ensure it is fresh)
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Granulated sugar (helps with browning)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 3/4 cup Unsalted butter (frozen and grated or cubed very small)
- 1 1/4 cups Full-fat buttermilk (cold)
- 2 tablespoons Melted butter (for brushing tops)
The Sausage Patties
- 1.5 pounds Ground pork shoulder (80/20 lean-to-fat ratio)
- 1 teaspoon Dried rubbed sage
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Red pepper flakes (adjust for heat preference)
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper (freshly cracked)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a heavy-duty baking sheet with parchment paper.
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2
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt until thoroughly combined.
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3
Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the frozen, grated butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized chunks remaining. Speed is key to keep the butter cold.
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4
Make a well in the center and pour in the cold buttermilk. Stir gently with a wooden spoon just until a shaggy dough forms; do not overmix.
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5
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat it into a rectangle and fold it in thirds like a letter. Rotate and repeat this folding process 3 times to create distinct flaky layers.
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6
Pat the dough down to a 1-inch thickness. Use a 3-inch floured biscuit cutter to press straight down—do not twist the cutter, as this seals the edges and prevents rising.
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7
Place biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they are touching each other; this helps them climb upward rather than spreading out.
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8
Bake for 15-18 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Immediately brush the tops with melted butter upon removal from the oven.
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9
While the biscuits bake, prepare the sausage. In a medium bowl, combine the ground pork with sage, thyme, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
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10
Divide the sausage mixture into 6 equal portions and form them into flat patties, slightly wider than the biscuits (they will shrink during cooking).
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11
Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the patties for 4-5 minutes per side until deeply browned and the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
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12
Carefully split the warm biscuits in half by hand or with a serrated knife, place a hot sausage patty inside, and serve immediately.
💡 Chef's Tips
For the flakiest layers, ensure your butter and buttermilk are ice-cold; frozen grated butter is a professional secret for even distribution. Avoid twisting the biscuit cutter; a clean vertical snap allows the steam to puff the layers up to their maximum height. If the dough feels too sticky, flour your hands rather than adding too much flour to the dough, which can make the biscuits tough. Make the sausage patties ahead of time and let them sit in the fridge for an hour; this allows the spices to permeate the meat more deeply. You can freeze unbaked biscuit rounds and bake them directly from the freezer, adding 3-5 minutes to the bake time.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve alongside a small ramekin of honey butter or maple syrup for a sweet-and-savory contrast. Pair with a hot cup of black coffee or a spicy Bloody Mary for the ultimate weekend brunch. Add a slice of sharp cheddar cheese onto the sausage patty in the last minute of cooking for a melty upgrade. Serve with a side of creamy southern-style white gravy for dipping. Add a fried egg with a runny yolk inside the biscuit for a 'Sausage, Egg, and Biscuit' deluxe experience.