Description
Angel Biscuits are light, fluffy, and tender biscuits made with a unique combination of baking soda, baking powder, and yeast. These biscuits have a heavenly texture and a slightly sweet, buttery flavor, perfect for serving warm with butter, honey, or jam. Ideal for a comforting breakfast or alongside your favorite meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Yeast Mixture
- 4 1/2 teaspoons (2 packages or 14 g) active yeast
- 3 tablespoons warm water (110 to 115°F)
Dry Ingredients
- 5 cups (700 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (50 g) white sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Fats
- 1/2 cup (115 g) butter, cold
- 1/2 cup (95 g) shortening, cold
Wet Ingredients
- 2 cups buttermilk
Additional
- Extra flour for forming and cutting biscuits
- 3 tablespoons melted butter (for brushing)
Instructions
- Prepare yeast paste: Place the yeast and warm water in a small bowl and stir to dissolve until a thick paste forms.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda using a balloon whisk.
- Cut in fats: Cut the cold butter and shortening into 1/2-inch chunks and sprinkle over the dry ingredients. Use your fingers to smash and break down the fats until they are flattened and about the size of peas.
- Combine yeast with buttermilk and mix: Stir the yeast paste into the buttermilk, then add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir with a large spatula until a rough dough forms. Knead the dough a few times by hand to incorporate any dry bits.
- Fold and shape dough: On a floured surface, pat dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Fold in half, rotate 90 degrees, and repeat this folding and patting process two more times to create layers. Pat the dough to a final 1-inch thickness.
- Cut biscuits: Flour a 2-inch round biscuit cutter and press straight down into the dough to cut biscuits. Avoid twisting the cutter. Gather scraps and cut more biscuits until all dough is used.
- Prepare for rising: Brush a 12-inch cast iron skillet with melted butter and arrange biscuits so they touch slightly. Transfer any extra biscuits to another baking pan or smaller skillet. Cover with plastic wrap and let biscuits rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven: About 15 minutes before the rise time ends, preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Brush and bake: After rising, brush the tops of the biscuits with the remaining melted butter. Bake biscuits for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown on top.
- Cool and serve: Let baked biscuits cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Serve warm with butter, honey, or jam for best enjoyment.
Notes
- Angel biscuits owe their airy, fluffy texture to the combined leavening agents of yeast, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Ensure the water is warm (110 to 115°F) to activate the yeast properly but not too hot to kill it.
- Do not twist the biscuit cutter when cutting to maintain biscuit layers and height.
- The folding technique creates light flaky layers for the perfect biscuit texture.
- Rising the biscuits before baking allows the yeast to develop flavor and tenderness.
- Use a cast iron skillet for best heat distribution when baking these biscuits.
- Brush with melted butter before and after baking for extra flavor and a golden crust.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 biscuit
- Calories: 253 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 304 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 21 mg
