Description

Homemade Angel Biscuits are fluffy, layered biscuits made with a yeast-raised dough enriched with buttermilk, butter, and shortening. These biscuits feature a tender crumb and a golden brown top brushed with cream and melted butter for extra flavor and texture. Perfect for breakfast or as a side dish, they require a proofing time for the yeast and a quick bake for a deliciously light and airy biscuit.

Ingredients

Scale

Yeast Mixture

1/4 cup warm water (125 F)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 package Rapid Rise Instant yeast (1/4 oz) (2¼ teaspoons)

Biscuits

2½ cups all-purpose flour (preferably White Lily flour)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, chopped + more for brushing finished biscuits
1/4 cup butter-flavored shortening
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Proof the yeast: Add warm water and sugar to a glass measuring cup or bowl, then stir in the rapid rise instant yeast. Let the yeast proof while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Cut in fats: Using a pastry cutter, cut in the chopped unsalted butter and butter-flavored shortening until the mixture resembles small crumbs.
Add liquids: Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in the yeast mixture and buttermilk, stirring to combine just the yeast and buttermilk initially.
Form dough: Gradually push the flour mixture into the well until everything is combined and a dough forms.
Knead the dough: Lightly flour a work surface and turn the dough out. Gently knead to incorporate all crumbs until you have a soft, pliable mound of dough.
Create layers: Fold the dough several times to develop layers that will give the biscuits their flaky texture.
Shape dough: Pat the dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle on the floured surface.
Cut biscuits: Use a floured 2.5 inch round biscuit cutter to cut out 8 to 10 biscuits. Avoid twisting the cutter; press straight down and pull up.
Arrange and rise: Place biscuits on a lightly greased 9-inch pan about 1/2 inch apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in a very warm, draft-free location (like an oven with the pilot light on) to rise for 1 hour.
Preheat oven and prepare biscuits: After rising, preheat the oven to 400 F. Remove plastic wrap and brush the tops lightly with heavy whipping cream to encourage browning.
Bake biscuits: Bake for 11 minutes, checking at the 8-minute mark. For the last minute, switch the oven to low broil to create golden tops, watching closely to prevent burning.
Finish and serve: Remove biscuits from the oven and immediately brush with melted butter for a rich, glossy finish.

Notes

Do not twist the biscuit cutter when cutting biscuits as it can seal the edges and prevent proper rising.
If you don’t have a warm place to let the dough rise, you can use your oven with just the light on to keep a draft-free warm environment.
Brushing the tops with heavy cream before baking helps achieve a beautiful golden-brown crust.
If you prefer, you can substitute the butter-flavored shortening with additional unsalted butter for a different flavor.
Watch carefully during the broiling step as biscuits can burn quickly.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 biscuit
Calories: 180 kcal
Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 350 mg
Fat: 9 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 22 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 4 g
Cholesterol: 30 mg