History

Biscuits and gravy have been Southern breakfast canon since the 1800s when settler-era cooks used pork drippings and milk to stretch a meal. Big Bad Breakfast (John Currence, Oxford Mississippi) opened the Birmingham branch on Highway 280 with the canonical Conecuh sausage gravy and buttermilk biscuit, and it remains the Birmingham brunch-counter signature alongside the meat-and-three Sunday plate at Yo' Mama's.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 25 minTotal 40 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 300g all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 115g cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 240ml cold buttermilk
  • 500g breakfast pork sausage (or Conecuh sausage, crumbled)
  • 40g all-purpose flour for the gravy
  • 480ml whole milk
  • Black pepper to taste

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 220C / 425F.
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the cold butter with fingertips until pea-sized lumps remain.
  3. Add buttermilk and stir just until combined. Turn onto a floured surface, fold over 4 times, press to 2.5cm thick, cut 6 biscuits.
  4. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until risen and golden.
  5. While the biscuits bake, brown the sausage in a heavy skillet, breaking it apart. Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and stir 1 minute.
  6. Slowly whisk in the milk. Simmer 5 minutes until thick. Season generously with black pepper.
  7. Split the biscuits and ladle the sausage gravy over them. Serve immediately.

Tip from the editors. The biscuit dough should look shaggy and barely come together. Overworking it makes tough biscuits.

Where to eat buttermilk biscuit and sausage gravy

Buttermilk biscuit and sausage gravy in Birmingham

Big Bad Breakfast ★ 4.5

$$ $13-22BrunchSouthern breakfast and brunchHighway 280

Big Bad Breakfast on Highway 280 Birmingham serves John Currence's canonical Southern brunch with Conecuh sausage gravy and the buttermilk biscuit weekends.

OrderConecuh sausage gravy and biscuit

Directions

Yo' Mama's ★ 4.3

$$ $12-22BrunchSoul-food brunch with gluten-free menuDowntown

Yo' Mama's on 4th Avenue North downtown Birmingham serves soul-food brunch on the second and last Saturday with the canonical chicken and waffles plate.

OrderChicken and waffles with a side of gluten-free grits

Directions

Continental Bakery ★ 4.6

$$ $8-18BrunchEuropean bakery brunchMountain Brook

Continental Bakery on Cahaba Road in Mountain Brook Birmingham runs European-bakery brunch with the canonical sourdough, croissants and a Sunday patio crowd.

OrderContinental sourdough toast with eggs and jam

Directions

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