Servings: 6

BISCUITS: subheading: BISCUITS:
3 cups all-purpose flour 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder 1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, (see note) 1 ¼ cups buttermilk, (see note)
 
SAUSAGE GRAVY: subheading: SAUSAGE GRAVY:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground fennel seed 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1 teaspoon ground sage 1 teaspoon ground sage
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper 1 ½ teaspoons pepper
1 1/2 pounds bulk pork sausage 1 ½ pounds bulk pork sausage
3 cups whole-milk 3 cups whole-milk
Salt Salt

For the biscuits: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter, and shortening in food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in buttermilk until combined.
On lightly floured surface, knead dough until smooth, 8 to 10 kneads. Pat dough into 9-inch circle, about ¾-inch-thick. Using 3-inch biscuit cutter dipped in flour, cut out rounds of dough and arrange on prepared baking sheet.
Gather remaining dough, pat into ¾-inch-thick circle, and cut out remaining biscuits. (You should have 8 biscuits in total.)
Bake until biscuits begin to rise, about 5 minutes, then rotate pan and reduce oven temperature to 400°F. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool.
For the sausage gravy: Combine flour, fennel, sage, and pepper in small bowl.
Cook sausage in large nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 8 minutes.
Sprinkle flour mixture over sausage and cook, stirring constantly, until flour has been absorbed, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk and simmer until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt.
Serve over split biscuits. (Biscuits can be stored in zipper-lock bag for 2 days.)

If you don't have buttermilk on hand, whisk 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into 1 1/4 cups of milk and let it stand until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.  If you don't have buttermilk on hand, whisk 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into 1 ¼ cups of milk and let it stand until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.