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Mammy’s Pan Drop Biscuits & Old‑Fashioned White Gravy

Bychandra Edgerton

A West Virginia Family Breakfast I’ll Never Forget

There are certain foods that don’t just fill your belly… they take you straight back home. For me, these biscuits are one of them.

My Mammy made these every time we had family in town, or whenever she took me down to West Virginia to visit family. I can still see her moving around the kitchen before the sun was even up, quiet and steady, like she’d been doing it her whole life. If she pulled out her sheet pan and set a stick of butter on it, you knew it was going to be a big breakfast day.

These biscuits weren’t tall or fluffy. They were thin, crispy on the edges, soft in the middle, and made from almost nothing just self‑rising flour, whole milk, salt, and butter. She’d drop the dough onto that hot, buttered pan, and they’d sizzle just a little before baking. The bottoms came out golden and buttery, and the whole kitchen smelled like comfort.

And she always served them with her old‑fashioned white gravy the kind made from nothing but butter, flour, milk, salt, and pepper. No sausage. No extras. Just smooth, creamy gravy poured over those hot biscuits while everyone gathered around the table.

This breakfast was family. This breakfast was West Virginia. This breakfast was Mammy.

And now it’s yours to pass on.

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Equipment You’ll Need

Mammy’s Hot Butter Pan Drop Biscuits

Ingredients

  • 2 cups self‑rising flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 to 1¼ cups whole milk
  • 4–6 tablespoons butter (melted on the sheet pan)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F This is the temperature Mammy used low enough to keep them tender, hot enough to crisp the bottoms.

2. Heat the butter Place your sheet pan in the oven with the butter on it. Let it melt and get hot this is what gives the biscuits their crispy, golden bottoms.

3. Mix the dough In a bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and whole milk. You want a wet, loose, sticky dough not pourable, but definitely not stiff.

4. Drop the biscuits Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto the sizzling butter. They should spread a little… that’s exactly how Mammy’s did.

5. Bake at 350°F Bake until the bottoms are deep golden, the edges are crispy, and the tops are pale or lightly golden. Mammy never used a timer she baked them “’til they’re golden,” and that’s still the best way.

6. Serve warm These biscuits are best right out of the oven, especially with Mammy’s white gravy.

Mammy’s Old‑Fashioned White Gravy

The only gravy she ever made simple, smooth, and perfect.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 2–2½ cups whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • ½–1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Melt the butter In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.

2. Add the flour Whisk in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes until it forms a smooth paste (a roux). Don’t brown it Mammy’s gravy stayed pale.

3. Add the milk slowly Pour in the milk a little at a time, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.

4. Season Add salt and pepper. She always used plenty of pepper that’s what gives it that classic Appalachian flavor.

5. Simmer until thickened Let it bubble gently until it reaches your desired thickness. If it gets too thick, add a splash more milk.

6. Serve over hot biscuits Just like Mammy did.

Notes

  • Dough Texture: These biscuits are supposed to be loose and sticky. If the dough looks too thick, add a splash more milk. If it’s too runny, sprinkle in a little more flour. Mammy never measured perfectly she went by feel.
  • Butter Amount: Use as much butter as your heart tells you. The more butter on the pan, the crispier and more golden the bottoms get.
  • Pan Heat: The sheet pan needs to be hot before the dough hits it. That’s what gives the biscuits their signature crispy edges.
  • No Timer Needed: Mammy baked these “’til they’re golden.” Every oven is different, so keep an eye on the bottoms when they’re deep golden, they’re done.
  • Gravy Thickness: If your gravy gets too thick, add a splash of milk. If it’s too thin, let it simmer another minute. It should coat the back of a spoon.

Storage

These biscuits are best fresh out of the oven, but here’s how to store them if you have leftovers:

  • Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for 1–2 days. They’ll soften a bit but still taste good warmed up.
  • Refrigerator: Keep up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the oven or air fryer to bring back the crisp edges.
  • Freezer: Freeze for up to 2 months. Wrap individually and store in a freezer bag. Reheat straight from frozen at 350°F until warm.
  • Gravy Storage: Store leftover gravy in the fridge for 3–4 days. It will thicken as it sits just whisk in a splash of milk when reheating.

If you want the full Mammy breakfast, try her Breakfast Potatoes with peppers and onions.

See all my recipes here.

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