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Benne Biscuits with Sausage Gravy

Source of Recipe

Bon Appétit, May 2020 Issue


Recipe Introduction

"Benne seeds are richer tasting than sesame but can be tricky to source. You can find them at ansonmills.com, but sesame seeds will also work. This recipe is from Benne on Eagle in Asheville, North Carolina."

Recipe Link: https://tinyurl.com/54smhpf6

List of Ingredients

Biscuits:
â—¦ ¾ cup whole wheat flour
â—¦ 1 tablespoon baking powder
â—¦ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
â—¦ 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
â—¦ ¼ cup toasted benne or sesame seeds, plus more for sprinkling
â—¦ 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus 2 tablespoons melted for brushing
â—¦ 1 ½ cups buttermilk

Gravy and assembly:
â—¦ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ 1 pound pork breakfast sausage, casings removed
â—¦ 1 small onion, finely chopped
â—¦ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
â—¦ 2 cups whole milk
â—¦ 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
â—¦ ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes


Recipe

For the biscuits: Preheat oven to 375° F. Whisk whole wheat flour, baking powder, kosher salt, 3 cups all-purpose flour, and ¼ cup benne seeds in a large bowl. Work in 1 cup chilled butter, smashing with your hands until pieces are the size of dimes and peas. Add buttermilk; mix with a rubber spatula to bring together. Knead dough a couple of times in the bowl until there are no dry spots remaining.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; pat into a 6-inch square. Fold dough in half, then in half again to create a smaller square. Pat back out to make an 8-inch square, about 1 inch thick. Cut into nine equal-size squares.

Transfer biscuits to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with sea salt and benne seeds. Bake until golden brown all over, 25 to 30 minutes.

For the gravy and assembly: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon as it begins to brown, until browned and halfway cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add milk and bring to a simmer, stirring vigorously to avoid lumps. Reduce heat; simmer until thick, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Stir in vinegar and red pepper flakes.

To serve, split four biscuits and divide among plates; ladle gravy over (you'll have extra biscuits). Top with scallions and more black pepper.

Makes 4 servings