In Search of a Better Quick Biscuit

[bbqchef]

Sawmill gravy sounds like veloute (one of the mother sauces) with some cracked pepper...

As noted above... sausage gravy without the sausage

[CDN Smoker]

Very interesting, so much to learn so little time.

[Hub]

Hand me two biscuits and a bowl of whatever you calling it.  Nicely done TH. 

In Paris France it is a "sauce" and in Paris, Texas it is "gravy".  Semantics aside, emulsifed fats with thickening starches and, sometimes, other ingredients like meat and spices, are terrifically tasty and I'd take in swim in them any day 

As to those biscuits (back to the origin of the thread) judging the dough by its viscosity (or gooeyness) is pretty common.  I like to use the Bisquick drop biscuit recipe but with a tad more moisture then turn the dough out on a board with some more flour and knead it around unti it is touchable without sticking.  This makes a really easy biscuit dough that you can cut into round or square bits for baking.  Much easier than cutting in cold lard and maybe a little bit healthier, too 

Hub

[tlg4942]

 Jimmy Dean sausage makes great gravy.  Never thought about adding the eggs to it but they would need to be scrambled first I would think. 
I've seen a lot of variations of the white gravy over the years. Kind of depended on what was available sometimes.  Even made it with deer meat a couple times.
 Sausage is best in my opinion.  We call it  biscuit gravy without sausage, and sausage gravy with.  Black pepper is a must!

 What is not the same is "Red Eye". Red Eye is nothing like this white gravy.   Wikipedia is fairly correct on this one. The exception is that it must have thick sliced
bone in ham cooked in the pan first. That's what my dad always said anyway.  This was his favorite gravy, We either had this or a dark gravy at home. White gravy was what we had at the relatives when we went there.  Or at Aunt Virginia's we had tomato gravy.. That's mighty good too. 
  My dad would always get the red eye when we went on vacation to Tennessee. He said they had the best ham for it..     
 There was a little restaurant in Townsend Tn where we always managed to be around breakfast time at least once every year.   

[Jaxon]

Maybe I can do a video of how my friend showed me to make whipping cream biscuits.  2 Ingredients:  whipping cream & self-rising flour.  Mix these till you get a semi-dry dough.  I roll 'em out kinda thin, cut 'em out, and stack one on another before baking @ 400 till done.  They just peel apart waiting for the butter.
Simplest flaky biscuits I've had...and VERY GOOD when top with sawmill sausage gravy.

Redeye gravy is mighty good in grits (imho)

[TentHunteR]

What is not the same is "Red Eye". Red Eye is nothing like this white gravy.   Wikipedia is fairly correct on this one. The exception is that it must have thick sliced bone in ham cooked in the pan first. That's what my dad always said anyway.

Yep, same here. I was always told it should be bone-in country ham, or at the very least country ham pieces. I love Red Eye gravy over rice.

[tlg4942]

Good idea..   

Maybe I can do a video of how my friend showed me to make whipping cream biscuits.  2 Ingredients:  whipping cream & self-rising flour.  Mix these till you get a semi-dry dough.  I roll 'em out kinda thin, cut 'em out, and stack one on another before baking @ 400 till done.  They just peel apart waiting for the butter.
Simplest flaky biscuits I've had...and VERY GOOD when top with sawmill sausage gravy.

Redeye gravy is mighty good in grits (imho)

[TMB]

Yep, Red-Eye gravy is using ham drippings, Saw Meal gravy is sausage drippings, white gravy is a milk base gravy  Brown gravy is beef or pork based drippings and chicken gravy is well Chicken Gravy!   

[Pam Gould]

Yep, Red-Eye gravy is using ham drippings, Saw Meal gravy is sausage drippings, white gravy is a milk base gravy  Brown gravy is beef or pork based drippings and chicken gravy is well Chicken Gravy! 

Your SOOOO smart..Pam  .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ

[tnjimbob]

Something I do to baking mix biscuits is to use buttermilk instead of regular milk. However, when time/laziness are factors, like early on Saturday morning and I really don't want to go to the store or I haven't had enough coffee, here's an easy shortcut to getting buttermilk. Add 1 tsp. white vinegar to a cup of milk and let it sit for five minutes before making biscuits with it.

Biscuits made with buttermilk seem to just be better - crispier crust and they rise better. I prefer light & fluffy biscuits to heavy ones. They seem to sop up butter & honey and gravy better.

[Pam Gould]

Something I do to baking mix biscuits is to use buttermilk instead of regular milk. However, when time/laziness are factors, like early on Saturday morning and I really don't want to go to the store or I haven't had enough coffee, here's an easy shortcut to getting buttermilk. Add 1 tsp. white vinegar to a cup of milk and let it sit for five minutes before making biscuits with it.

Biscuits made with buttermilk seem to just be better - crispier crust and they rise better. I prefer light & fluffy biscuits to heavy ones. They seem to sop up butter & honey and gravy better.

Exactly right.  .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ

[veryolddog]

Maybe I can do a video of how my friend showed me to make whipping cream biscuits.  2 Ingredients:  whipping cream & self-rising flour.  Mix these till you get a semi-dry dough.  I roll 'em out kinda thin, cut 'em out, and stack one on another before baking @ 400 till done.  They just peel apart waiting for the butter.
Simplest flaky biscuits I've had...and VERY GOOD when top with sawmill sausage gravy.
 

That would make a great video. I sure would appreciate it if you did this. My curiosity for making a good flaky biscuit is on the rise especially with Thanksgiving coming up.

Ed

[Pappymn]

Something I do to baking mix biscuits is to use buttermilk instead of regular milk. However, when time/laziness are factors, like early on Saturday morning and I really don't want to go to the store or I haven't had enough coffee, here's an easy shortcut to getting buttermilk. Add 1 tsp. white vinegar to a cup of milk and let it sit for five minutes before making biscuits with it.

Biscuits made with buttermilk seem to just be better - crispier crust and they rise better. I prefer light & fluffy biscuits to heavy ones. They seem to sop up butter & honey and gravy better.

Lemon juice does work too.

[drholly]

Jaxon, those whipping cream biscuits sound interesting. A video would be cool. Thanks!

[TentHunteR]

Something I do to baking mix biscuits is to use buttermilk instead of regular milk.

YUM, I love buttermilk in biscuits & pancakes.

I can't have the stuff in the dairy section, so I keep powdered buttermilk on hand for such occasions.