Made in under an hour, these light and airy Angel Biscuits will impress any and all at the dinner table! Each biscuit is a mass of pillowy softness and golden buttery crumbs!
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Okay y’all, I’m serving up a batch of hot and fresh Angel Biscuits today! Back in the day, my family and I would make this recipe just about every other night. A basket of warm biscuits on the dinner table was a decadent treat we each looked forward to.
In fact, we would even go the extra mile to shape the dough into actual angel wings! All ya gotta do is dip the biscuit in butter, fold it over, and place it side by side with another biscuit. As they bake, the biscuits sort of fly! They rise and fan out into these marvelous mounds made of butter and bread.
If you’ve never had an Angel Biscuit, you’re in for a real treat today! Light, airy, and buttery, each of these biscuits are absolutely irresistible.
Perks and Highlights
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Dietary Info: Vegetarian
Key Flavor: Buttery Goodness
Skill Level: Easy to Intermediate
Special Perks:
- Hybrid Heaven: What do you get when you cross a buttery biscuit with the airy lightness of yeast bread? That’s right, the Angel Biscuit. It’s the best of both worlds, and your taste buds will be thanking you!
- Rise and Shine, Anytime: These biscuits use both baking powder and yeast, meaning you get a dependable rise without waiting hours for the dough to proof. Plus, you can refrigerate the dough and use it as needed. Fresh biscuits every morning? Yes, please!
- Butter Me Up: The richness of real butter sends the flavor of these biscuits over the top. It’s the kind of taste that makes you close your eyes, sigh, and feel everything’s right with the world.
- Versatility is Key: Perfect on their own, mind-blowing with some honey or jam, and an absolute dream with gravy. These angel biscuits don’t just fly; they soar no matter how you want to serve them.
- Beginner’s Luck: Never made bread before? No problem! These angel biscuits are forgiving and a fantastic way to dip your toes in the world of baking. Who knows, you might just unleash your inner baker!
What is an Angel Biscuit?
Angel Biscuits have been all the rage in Southern kitchens for decades. I can’t think of a single member of my family that doesn’t make these biscuits regularly! Somewhere between a yeast roll and a biscuit, Angel Biscuits are as airy and light as, well, angel wings. They’re simply scrumptious!
Ingredients
INSTANT YEAST, SELF-RISING FLOUR, & BAKING SODA- These irresistible Angel Biscuits use 3 different leavening agents to achieve their iconic texture. Each ingredient offers it’s unique and irreplaceable value. Instant yeast ensures a quick rise. Self-rising flour is activated by the heat in the oven and gives the biscuits a necessary lift. Baking soda reacts with the buttermilk to create a tender, tangy biscuit.
LUKEWARM WATER- The temperature of your water will determine whether or not the yeast blooms. Do not exceed 110 degrees.
GRANULATED SUGAR- Just a bit of sugar adds a touch of sweetness that makes these biscuits all the better. Cane or granulated sugar will work.
KOSHER SALT- Salt makes for flavor and kosher salt is always the way to go!
BUTTER-FLAVORED SHORTENING- I bet you’re wondering why I’m choosing to use shortening over butter, so let me explain! Shortening contains almost 50% less saturated fat than regular butter. Less fat results in a higher rise during baking.
BUTTERMILK- There’s nothing in this world like a buttermilk biscuit! Tangy and full of flavor, buttermilk just adds an extra layer of decadence to this recipe.
Baking Tips
- CHILL THE SHORTENING- the recipe doesn’t require chilling but if you’d like to achieve more defined layers chill the shortening for about 20-30 minutes before baking.
- WORK QUICKLY- to keep the shortening from completely melting, work fast and efficiently. It’s best to prep the ingredients ahead of time and run your hands under cold water to keep them cool.
- COOK IN BATCHES- Angel biscuit dough can be divided, and baked fresh in smaller batches. Store the dough covered and refrigerated and it will last for as long as one week.
What to Serve These With
If you’ve had a one of our biscuits before, you know how good they can be all on their own. Seriously, I could eat these fluffy pillows of heaven by the dozen!
But, if you’re looking to serve a more well-rounded meal, let me make a few suggestions. Dish out these biscuits as a side to any, or all, of the recipes below for a decadent, hearty spread.
Looking for a few more options? Check out the GBC website for tons of Southern-inspired recipes worth raving about!
Leftover Storage
If properly stored in an airtight container, freshly baked biscuits will keep for 1-2 days at room temperature.
Best Biscuit Recipes
If there’s one thing I know (and boy do I know it well), its biscuits! Flaky, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, all of GBC’s biscuit recipes are guaranteed to please.
Go ahead and check ‘em out:
- Sour Cream Biscuits
- Drop Biscuits
- Sweet Potato Biscuits
- 7 Up Biscuits
- Butter Swim Biscuits
- Honey Butter Biscuits
- Flaky Biscuits
Angel Biscuits
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Ingredients
For the Yeast Mixture
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar plus 1 tsp, divided
For the Biscuit Dough
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 12 tbsp butter-flavored Crisco cut into cubes
- 1 cup buttermilk plus 2 tbsp, divided
Instructions
- Gently heat ¼ cup buttermilk in small bowl in microwave until between 105 and 110F. Add yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar and mix with a fork until both are dissolved. Let sit until mixture is very foamy, about 5-6 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Using a pastry cutter, cut shortening into flour mixture until pea-sized crumbs develop.
- Pour in yeast mixture and 1 cup buttermilk and stir with spatula or wooden spoon until a shaggy dough develops.
- Transfer biscuit dough onto a floured work surface and knead gently just to combine, but do not overmix.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel and place in warm spot (around 85-90F) until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Remove dough and roll into a ½ inch thick round using a rolling pin. Cut into 2 ½ inch round cutter (do not twist when cutting biscuits) and place biscuits in greased cast iron skillet.
- Cover biscuits with a kitchen towel and place back in warm spot until almost doubled in size, about 30-40 minutes.
- Place biscuits in freezer for 25-30 minutes to rechill the shortening.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 375F. Place oven rack in middle position.
- Brush biscuits with 2 tablespoons buttermilk and sprinkle with flaky sea salt, then bake until lightly golden brown, about 25-28 minutes.
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This recipe is delicious. Thanks you.
thank you, I love biscuits, haven’t had angel biscuits before, so a nice change, I like that they’re not too complicated and light, thank you!
How do you reheat these? Are they best eaten warm or room temp?
These were so easy to make and delicious, too! Definitely will be making again! 🙂
Would love to make this! Thanks for sharing! Will definitely make this for my family!
Can’t wait to try these biscuits to impress everyone at the table.
These angel biscuits are great to make up a big batch to have with honey or jam on the weekends and then have more to serve alongside soups or casseroles throughout the week.
Delicious biscuit recipe! Thank you! I’ll keep coming back to it! bookmarked!