Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Buttermilk Biscuits

4 1/2 c. flour
4 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2/3 c. shortening
2 c. buttermilk
melted butter for brushing tops

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Mix first four ingredients in bowl.
3. Cut in shortening with fork or pastry cutter until shortening is little pea sized and well blended into flour mixture.
4. Pour in buttermilk a little at a time until all has been incorporated.
5. Flour flat surface or counter and knead dough with hands for about a minute. You can keep adding flour if necessary to keep from sticking to your hands or counter. With rolling pin, roll dough until about 1 inch thick. If you roll it too thin, you will have flat biscuits. (This has happened to me many times!)
6. Cut dough with about a 2 inch round cutter or use the top of a cup if you don't have a cutter. Place on ungreased pan. (I use my baking stone.)
7. Brush tops with melted butter. Bake for about 12 minutes or until tops are lightly browned. I flip mine and make sure the bottom is done also for another few minutes.

Sausage Gravy

1 roll sausage
3 T butter
1/2 c. flour
1-2 c. milk OR 1 c. chicken broth and 1 c. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Brown sausage in large pan. Once sausage is cooked, remove from pan, leaving fat from sausage. Melt butter in pan with remaining fat on medium heat. Whisk in flour until well incorporated. Stir constantly for a few minutes to prevent burning. Whisk in milk (or broth) a little at a time. Keep adding milk (and/or broth and buttermilk) a little at a time until it is the consistency you like. Add less milk for thicker gravy or more milk for thinner gravy. Add sausage back into gravy with salt and pepper. Let cook on low for about 5 minutes or until you are ready to serve. Pour over biscuits.