Angel Biscuits
Angel Biscuits Recipe – A fabulous cross between bread and biscuits that’s light, pillowy, and tasty. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner! What’s not to love?
As the name suggests, Angel Biscuits are the most tender, fluffy biscuits you’ll ever make. It’s like the lovechild of bread and biscuits. Pair them with honey and butter, and you’ll be in heaven.
I usually make these super easy biscuits for friends, and they always rave about how great they are. Oh, and they disappear fast! Your favorite biscuit and jam just got an upgrade. The melt-in-your-mouth treat is light and delicate, just like a cloud.
What Are Angel Biscuits?
Angel biscuits are a genuine Southern specialty. Who invented biscuits using three leavening agents for a super light biscuit with a good rise is a matter of debate. Some say a baker at White Lilly, and others say Martha White, so we may never know. Baking powder, baking soda, and yeast guarantee a light and fluffy biscuit just about anyone can make.
Besides having a triple strength rise, kneading and folding them contributes to the angel wings profile. Some people call these beauties bride’s biscuits because they’re so easy to make that even a newlywed can whip them up. Even better, you can make the dough ahead and bake up just what you want at the moment.
Recipe Ingredients
- Leavening Agents -Active dry yeast, baking powder, and baking soda provide a good rise for a guaranteed light and tender biscuit.
- All-Purpose Flour – Like any good bread, flour is the main ingredient for angel biscuits. A little sugar sweetens the dough, but you can leave it out.
- Warm Water (110– 115°F/43-46℃) – Water activates dry yeast, not hot enough to kill the yeast and not cold enough to slow activation.
- Buttermilk – The acidity in buttermilk activates baking soda and adds a wonderful tang to the biscuits.
- Shortening – Butter and shortening shorten the gluten fibers for flakier biscuits. They also deliver a melt-in-your-mouth texture. If you don’t like using shortening, you can use all butter.
How to Make Angel Biscuits
- Dissolve the yeast in a small bowl of warm water. Let it stand until creamy. Add buttermilk to the yeast mixture and set aside. (Photo 1)
- Dry Ingredients – Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add Shortening – Cut the shortening and butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter. The mixture should look like a coarse meal. (Photo 2)
- Make Dough – Add the yeast mixture to the crumb mixture. Stir well. Turn your dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently until it comes together and appears smooth. It usually takes about a minute. (Photos 3-5)
- First Rise – Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight or let rise for 30 minutes to an hour. (Photo 6)
- Roll – When ready to use, roll the dough out to about ½-inch thick. Then, cut out your biscuits with a biscuit cutter. You can use a cup or form balls with your hands and flatten them to about ½-inch thick if you don’t have a biscuit cutter. (Photos 7-8)
- Second Rise – Place them on a greased baking sheet and cover. Allow to rise for about 30 minutes, then brush them with butter. (Photo 9)
- Bake at 400℉ (205℃) for 12-18 minutes or until golden brown, depending on the size of your biscuits. (Photo 10)
- Serve with honey butter (⅔ cup butter and ⅓ cup honey mixture). Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Savory Biscuits: Add a teaspoon of dried herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage, etc.) to the dry ingredients and omit the sugar for herby angel biscuits.
- Gluten-Free: Replace the flour with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend and add ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum to the dry ingredients as a binder for the dough.
- Bacon Egg Biscuit Sandwich: You can never go wrong with bacon! Slice the biscuit in half, slather it with some butter, and add a couple of slices of bacon and a fried egg for an incredible breakfast sandwich.
Tips and Tricks
- Use cold ingredients. The butter and shortening should be very cold when you cut them into the dry ingredients. This will help to create a flaky texture in the biscuits.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, make your own. Stir a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into a cup of milk.
- The amount of flour you need may vary depending on your climate, altitude, and type of flour. Adjust the amount to your preferences.
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can make the dough five days ahead and keep it tightly covered in the fridge. Then, make as many biscuits as you need on a busy weekday.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Angel biscuits are best fresh out of the oven, but you can store them later.
They last at room temperature for 2-3 days, 5-6 days in the fridge, and 2-3 months in the freezer. Store them in an airtight container or bag.
FAQs
Shortening creates angel biscuits’ (or any biscuit) flaky texture. How? It adds fat to the biscuit’s structure and breaks down the flour’s protein and starch. It also limits gluten development for a more delicate crumb and fluffier biscuit.
I prefer doing it the old-fashioned way, but you can use self-rising flour. Omit the baking powder, replace the all-purpose flour with the same measurement of self-rising flour, and leave the rest of the ingredients the same.
However, cast iron holds heat very well, so check on your biscuits sooner than usual to catch them at the perfect doneness.
What to Serve With Angel Biscuits
Angel biscuits go perfectly with Southern fried chicken and homemade gravy as a dinner idea. Or, for a sweet treat, fill up these bad boys with some fruit dip and fresh fruit.
More Delicious Bread Recipes to Try
Conclusion
These super light and mouthwatering angel biscuits are ideal for any occasion. Have you made them yet? Please post your pics on Instagram.😍
This recipe was originally published in February 2014 and has been updated with additional tips and new photos.
Angel Biscuits
Ingredients
- ½ ounce (2 packages or 4½ teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons (44ml) warm water (110-115°F)
- 2 cups (473ml) buttermilk
- 5 cups (600g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓-½ cup (65-100g) sugar
- 1½ teaspoon (9g) salt
- 2 teaspoons (12g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5g) baking soda
- ⅔ cup (150g) butter
- ⅔ cup (150g) shortening
- 3
tablespoons (45ml)
melted butter (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let it stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add buttermilk to the yeast mixture and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cut shortening and butter into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse meal.
- Add the yeast mixture to the crumb mixture. Stir until well moistened.
- Place dough out onto a lightly floured board. Turn and gently knead the dough just until it comes together and appears smooth. It shouldn't take more than one minute.
- At this point, you can either cover the bowl and let it rise in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.
- When ready to use, roll the dough out and cut with a biscuit cutter or form balls with your hands. The dough should be about ½- inch thick.
- Place on a greased baking sheet, cover, and let it rise for about 30 minutes. Then brush with butter.
- Bake at 400℉ (205℃) for 12-18 minutes or until golden brown, depending on the size of your biscuits.
- Serve with honey butter (or mix ⅔ cup butter with ⅓ cup honey).
Tips & Notes:
- Use cold ingredients. The butter and shortening should be very cold when you cut them into the dry ingredients. This will help to create a flaky texture in the biscuits.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, make your own. Stir a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into a cup of milk.
- The amount of flour you need may vary depending on your climate, altitude, and type of flour. Adjust the amount to your preferences.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Has anybody else managed to find the metric below the ingredients?
Cup measurements are such a lottery.
Sorry about that. I have added metric to the recipe. Thanks:)
I am going to try this! Would love to know it the dough can be frozen before baking for later use?
Awesome!!! Can’t wait to know how it turns out for you.
This recipe serves 10-12…does that mean 10-12 biscuits or 10-12 people? My mother made angel biscuits at holiday time when I was growing up. Thank you….can’t wait to try your recipe!
The recipe makes about 12 biscuits. I can’t eat just one either. But one biscuit is a serving.
can i use pastry flour instead of all purpose ?
Hi Bobby,
yes, pastry flour can a good substitute but whole-wheat pastry flour would be a better substitute for all-purpose flour. Thanks
Hi Immaculate,
I have tried your biscuits earlier this year, but I forgot how was the taste.
I am afraid of using yeast but one thing I would like to tell you is that your presentation on all your recipe gives me so much confidence to go ahead and bake.
I am so grateful and would like to thank you for your website.
I am going to bake them again today and I will definitely let you know.
That’s great to hear, Rosemary. By the way, that’s my sister’s name. 🙂 Please do let me know they turn out.
Why only a month in the freezer?
The yeast in the dough would not work best if frozen longer than the advised period.
Do you have gluten free recipes???
Sorry I don’t .
Hi! What is the difference btw using salted butter & unsalted? Thanks!
Salted butter has salt, in specified amount .You use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt in the biscuits.
Love your recipes but my headache is the measurements please…
Hi Millicent. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Updated already the recipe box. Just click on the “Metric” below the ingredient list to view the measurements in grams. Thank you!
I am danish and cameroonian and here in fenmark we have something we call “boller”, bread, that are extrmely similar to these. We always get them in the morning when someone is having birthday with butter, jam or chocolat on top. They are soo tasty.
I bet the baked goods there are exceptional! Can’t wait to book trip going there.
Hi , thank you for the recipe. please what type of butter can you ?
Unsalted butter works best.
This was my first time making them with this recipe, my bunch and I think it’s the “bomb” . Thank you
YAY! So happy to hear it worked out well for you. Thanks for the feedback!
Hi, I made these biscuits this morning when I realized we had no bread in the house. The recipe was easy to follow however, I combined the flour, butter and shortening in my food processor by pulsing and it did an excellent job.
I was a bit overwhelmed by the texture of the dough when I mixed in the liquid to flour. I quickly added more flour to dough and to my hands when handling it. After the dough rested I cut out the biscuits and baked as directed. They came out wonderfully light and soft. I will definitely be baking more of these biscuits…I am impressed.
It
Awesome! Glad to hear it worked out well for you. Thanks for letting me know.
Is there is substitude for butter milk/sour milk.
Yes, it ‘s 1 cup milk and 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for 10 minutes
when I put 2/3 butter. Then I dont have shortening so can I put 2/3 cup of butter again.
Yes, you can.
I am so looking forward to trying these biscuits! Is there a substitute for shortening?
Benita, just use butter.Let me know how you like it