Easy Sourdough Discard Biscuits and Sausage Gravy for Two

Some birthdays call for reservations. This one called for a cast iron skillet.

These sourdough discard biscuits and sausage gravy for two started as a birthday morning solution. My husband wanted something special but wasn’t feeling like going out — so I did what any homestead spouse does. I looked at what I had.

My sourdough starter lives on my counter bubbly and happy. I don’t bake a lot of traditional sourdough bread, but that fermented discard gets used almost every day in something. Pancakes, crackers, flatbreads — and on this particular Kentucky morning, biscuits and gravy. I wanted fast, the best, and easy, Sourdough Discard biscuits and Sausage Gravy recipe all in one place.

I had pulled ground pork from Showalter’s out of the freezer two days before for breakfast later that week, grabbed fresh thyme (see below picture), tarragon and oregano from the kitchen garden (dried herbs will work too), and got to work. Forty minutes later he had a birthday breakfast worth staying home for.

Why This Recipe Is Easy

Most biscuit recipes make a dozen. This one makes four — perfect for two people who want a real breakfast without a week of leftovers.

🍳 The first thing that is easy about sourdough discard biscuits and sausage gravy, is I have everything on hand. Sourdough discard adds a nice tang and it is something I always have on my counter, calling for me to make bread, but time leaves me discard. I don’t like to waste so I rarely have to throw out discard, more yum for us!

Since it is a small batch just for two, I don’t have to worry about adding something else to the fridge. No leftovers is something we don’t want every time, but for a quick meal 4 biscuits is perfect for two. They gravy kind of comes out how thick you make it, so left overs here may vary.

🍳 I really love having fresh herbs right outside my door. I was surprised when I first grew my own herbs at how much fresher they taste, and how easy they are to use. Plus, I don’t have to run to the store if I am out of something. Dried Herbs work fine if you don’t have access to fresh herbs.

The gravy is easy, truly. No, I don’t have it canned, I haven’t figured that out yet! It whips together super fast with the drippings from your cooked sausage. Again, no waste.

INGREDIENTS + SOURCING

🐷 I love having fresh ground pork in the freezer. We are lucky to have pasture raised pigs in our area, that we can purchase fresh pork from the butcher.

🧈 For the biscuits, I use equal parts cold butter and Kentucky Lard. Butter for that rich flavor, lard for the flaky tender texture that butter alone just can’t achieve. Kentucky Lard is exactly what it sounds like — local, simple, and right at home in my homestead kitchen. (I ran out of my own leaf lard) Once you try it you won’t go back.

🐮 We are also fortunate to have raw milk surrounding us. From local farmers herd shares to Amish farmers, we are truly blessed. The cream on top of the milk makes the gravy rich, smooth and delicious, ok i just drooled a little. Did I say how much I like gravy!

🌿 My herb garden is something that I do not want to ever go without again. I can go pick thyme, tarragon, sage, savory, rosemary, chives, and oregano for any recipe I like. The great thing about herbs is you don’t have to have a ton of space. They can be grown in containers and planters right outside your door. A great way to get into homesteading in your small spaces too.

🫓 It was 2019 when I was first introduced to sourdough starter at a swap meet. A local woman brought us a fresh out of the oven loaf and my husband was immediately in love, with the sourdough bread! The woman was generous and wrote down all the instructions on how to feed the starter and make bread and gave us a portion of starter. I’ve been messing with flours, and baking ever since.

This recipe comes together with fresh ingredients and common spices from the pantry.

Biscuits Step by Step

I was always a bit afraid of biscuits. I want them to be perfect. And inevitably I mess them up. I adapted this recipe from Food Social, Deb’s Nourished Kitchen. I worked quickly, and did not over mix, folded and boom. Super fast and easy.

Step 1 — Preheat Your Cast Iron I heat my cast iron on the stovetop instead of putting it in the oven. Same result, and I’m not wrestling a screaming hot skillet out of the oven with floury hands, if it can happen I will definitely burn myself . When it’s hot, add your butter and let it melt while you finish the dough. Keep it warm on the stove top while oven preheats to 425F.

Step 2 — Sift Your Flour and Mix Dry Ingredients I sift my flour first(half Sir Galahad and half wheat pastry flour — it makes the biscuits lighter and more tender. Mix in your salt, sugar and baking powder until combined.

Step 3 — Cut In Your Fat This is where the magic happens. I use equal parts cold butter and Kentucky Lard — butter for rich flavor, lard for that flaky tender texture that butter alone can’t achieve. Grate butter and chopped up lard straight into your flour mixture and work it in until crumbly. Cold is everything here — work fast.

Step 4 — Add Your Wet Ingredients Add your sourdough discard, egg and milk. Stir just until a shaggy dough forms. Seriously — stop mixing the second it comes together. It sounds scary but trust me, it will also be sticky.

Step 5 — Fold For Layers Turn onto a floured surface, fold over itself 5-6 times, making a rectangle about a knuckle high. This is what creates those flaky layers. Be gentle and fast.

Step 6 — Cut and Bake Cut biscuits into 4 sections. Melt butter in your hot skillet, place biscuits in and bake 15-18 minutes until golden.

Sausage Gravy Step by Step

This gravy is fairly easy, you need to have a med heat setting while whisking in the flour to keep it from lumping.

Step 1 — Brown Your Sausage Add your Showalter’s ground pork (or sausage of your liking) to a skillet over medium/high heat. I mix my spices directly into the sausage as it cooks — the paprika is what gives this gravy that beautiful brown color instead of the usual pale white gravy.

Step 2 — Remove Sausage and Make Your Roux Here’s where I do things differently. I remove the sausage from the pan first and set it aside. You want about 1-2 tablespoons of those gorgeous drippings left in the pan (measure with love) — that’s your flavor base. Don’t drain it all, that’s liquid gold.

Sprinkle your flour slowly, evenly over the drippings while whisking constantly for about a minute until absorbed. This whisking and slowly adding flour is where most lumps happen (about equal drippings to flour ratio)

Step 3 — Add Your Milk Whisk in flour till it is sticky and thick. Slowly drizzle in your milk while whisking constantly. Low and slow here, add milk to your desired consistency. We like ours thick.

Step 4 — Add Sausage Back Add your sausage back in, taste test, you can add more spices here if you wish, stir to combine and cook until you reach your desired thickness.

Step 5 — Serve These will keep warm while you make your farm fresh eggs! Then serve up and enjoy!

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Tips for Perfect Sourdough Discard Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Cold fat is non negotiable Both your butter and Kentucky Lard need to be cold. I grate mine straight from the fridge. Warm fat = flat biscuits. Work fast.

Don’t overmix This is the number one biscuit mistake. The moment the dough comes together — stop. A shaggy rough dough is a perfect biscuit dough.

Sift your flour I know it feels like an extra step but it makes a real difference in texture. Lighter flour = lighter biscuit.

Heat your cast iron on the stovetop No wrestling a screaming hot skillet out of the oven with floury hands. Heat it on the stove, add your butter, let it melt while you cut your biscuits.

Remove your sausage before making the roux This is the step that changes everything. Clean drippings + flour = a smooth lump free gravy every time.

Low and slow on the milk Drizzle it in slowly while whisking constantly. Rushing this step = lumpy gravy.

Paprika is your secret weapon It gives the gravy that beautiful brown color and a subtle depth of flavor. Don’t skip it.

Measure with love These spice amounts are starting points. Taste as you go. That’s how we cook around here.

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From sourdough discard recipes to garden to table meals — I share what we’re actually eating, growing and sourcing right here in Kentucky. No fluff, just real food with intention.