Trying American Biscuit Sandwiches as a Brit

If you grew up in the UK, biscuits mean dunkers with tea. In the US, biscuits are buttery, flaky breads. Today I’m trying American biscuit sandwiches and sharing what surprised me.

First impressions of American biscuit sandwiches

The buttermilk biscuits were a shock in the best way. Flaky yet light, with a taste somewhere between a scone and cake, only richer and more buttery. That texture makes sense when you load them up as sandwiches.

How to make biscuits for American biscuit sandwiches

The oven was preheated to 220°C (200°C fan) / 425°F. Cold butter was rubbed into self-raising flour with a pinch of salt until it looked like breadcrumbs. Cold buttermilk was stirred in just until the dough came together — no kneading needed. The dough was folded a couple of times to create layers, pressed to about 2–2.5cm thick, and cut into 6–7cm rounds (scraps gathered only once). Baked on a lined tray for 12–15 minutes until risen and golden. While still warm, the tops were brushed with melted butter, then split and spread with a little more butter on the cut sides ready for building.

Sausage, egg and cheese biscuit sandwich

A patty made from good pork sausage (around 70–80g) was fried in a lightly oiled pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes per side until browned and cooked through (75°C internal / 167°F). An egg was cooked in a ring over medium-low heat with a lid on, which set the white neatly without overcooking the yolk. The warm, buttered biscuit was layered with the sausage, a slice of cheese, and the egg. This had a familiar McMuffin-style feel, though it ate a little drier than expected despite the juicy patty.

Fried chicken with white gravy biscuit sandwich

A small chicken thigh was marinated in buttermilk with salt, pepper, and a pinch of paprika and garlic powder for at least 30 minutes. It was dredged in seasoned flour and shallow-fried in about 1cm of oil at 170–175°C / 340–350°F until crisp and cooked through — around 5–6 minutes per side (75°C internal / 167°F).

Making the white gravy

For the gravy, 1 tsp butter was melted in a small pan, 1 tsp flour whisked in and cooked for a minute, then about 100ml milk whisked in gradually until smooth and thickened enough to coat a spoon. Seasoned generously with salt and black pepper.

The crispy chicken was stacked on a buttered biscuit, gravy spooned over, and topped with the biscuit lid. Tasted great but very rich and heavy as a full sandwich.

Bacon, chilli jam and maple syrup biscuit sandwich

Streaky bacon was cooked until properly crisp — about 6–8 minutes in a pan or 12–15 minutes in a 200°C (180°C fan) / 390°F oven. The warm, buttered biscuit base was spread with chilli jam, topped with the bacon, then drizzled lightly with maple syrup before adding the lid. Sweet, salty, smoky, and with a touch of spice, this was the standout. The combination worked so well it was impossible not to finish the rest during filming. Definitely one to recommend to my mate with a café in Cheddar.

What I learned about American biscuit sandwiches

Buttermilk is the key to keeping biscuits light and flaky rather than stodgy. The bacon, chilli jam and maple syrup sandwich was the clear winner. The fried chicken with gravy had excellent flavour but leaned towards excess. The sausage, egg and cheese was familiar but unexpectedly the driest of the three. Overall, it’s easy to see why American biscuit sandwiches are loved — serious comfort food with endless options for filling.

Watch the video

The video is embedded above, or watch it on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6VvAV3V8qs

Related recipes and videos

My first biscuits and gravy experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbuJIuAhjIQ
Trying classic American chili and cornbread: https://barrylewis.net/recipe/british-guy-tries-classic-american-chili-and-cornbread/