Lighter Than Air Angel Biscuits with Yeast
Angel biscuits are a type of light and fluffy biscuit that use both yeast and baking powder to achieve a delicate texture. What’s wonderful about these soft and fluffy biscuits is that it’s just about impossible to make them incorrectly. It’s true! Angel biscuits are a fool-proof recipe that anyone can make. They’re almost as easy as classic buttermilk biscuits but even more likely to come out of the oven perfectly, every single time.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Food processor or pastry cutter
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- baking tray
- Kitchen brush
Ingredients
- 4.5 teaspoons active dry yeast (2 packages)
- 3 tablespoons warm water
- 5 cups bread flour/all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup butter (cold)
- 2 cups buttermilk (cold)
- 2 tablespoons butter (melted)
- Flaky salt (sprinkle)
Instructions
- Add yeast to a medium sized bowl with warm water and stir to allow it to dissolve. Let it sit for 5 minutes. It will be thick but not foamy.
- Add cold buttermilk to the yeast mixture and whisk until combined.
- In a food processor or large bowl combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Process or whisk until combined.
- Add very cold chunks of butter and process until it is incorporated, with pea sized chunks, or use a pastry cutter.
- Pour the buttermilk yeast mixture into the dry ingredients and process until it barely comes together, or use a spatula to combine.
- Turn out onto a floured surface and use your hands to form into a shaggy dough. Once the flour is incorporated, shape into a rectangle and cut into thirds. Stack them on top of each other and roll out into a rectangle. Repeat this three times. Roll into about a 1 inch thickness.
- Use a 2 inch biscuit cutter and cut out the biscuits, going straight down, do not twist.
- Brush some melted butter on the bottom and sides of a 10 inch iron skillet or a 9 x 13 baking pan. Place the biscuits right next to each other in the pan. They should be touching.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
- 15 minutes before they have finished rising, preheat the oven to 400º.
- Brush melted butter over the risen biscuits and bake for 12-16 minutes until golden brown. Remove and immediately brush with melted butter and sprinkle with flaky salt.
- Makes 18-20 biscuits
Barbara's Notes + Tips
- You can use either bread or all-purpose flour.
- Try to avoid touching the dough as little as possible as your warm hands will melt the butter.
- Always cut straight down with a biscuit cutter, don't twist.
- If you don't have buttermilk, learn how to make your own buttermilk with items in your pantry.
- You can refrigerate the dough once it has been cut into biscuits. Let warm to room temperature before baking.
Nutrition
Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 338mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 359IU | Vitamin C: 0.002mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 0.3mg
