Angel Yeast Biscuits are southern style biscuits made with plenty of butter and four types of leavening so that they come out extra light and fluffy every time.
Homemade biscuits are a regular occurrence around these parts. Something about all those buttery, flaky layers of carbalicious bread just speaks to my heart. I’ve been making simple buttermilk biscuits from scratch for just about ever.
Then, this one time, I couldn’t get Sir Mix-a-Lot’s homage to buttermilk biscuits out of my head, so I whipped up whole wheat buttermilk biscuits to purge the song from my system. When biscuits are present, ladling a scoop of light sausage gravy over them is never amiss. (Bacon Slayer and Son #4 are huge fans of that fare!) When I’m feeling sassy, I’ve even been known to fold raspberries, goat cheese, and thyme into the mix for a sweet and savory biscuit that’ll rock your socks off.
In short, biscuits are my life.
The other morning I was reading about “angel” biscuits in an old copy of Southern Living magazine. I got to wondering what exactly makes up an angel biscuit, and how it got such a divine name. According to my research, angel biscuits are simply buttermilk biscuits with a whole lot of extra leavening added for extra lift. Fluffier biscuits? Heck, yes! I can get behind anything that makes a buttery biscuit even fluffier than usual.
Angel Yeast Biscuits are southern style biscuits with plenty of butter and four types of leavening so that they bake extra light and fluffy every time. Angel Yeast Biscuits have a softer and more cohesive texture than the typical buttermilk biscuits with the distinct layers that peel apart in sheets. I attribute the difference in overall texture to the fact that the cold butter in the mix comes to room temperature as the biscuits rise. The softened butter compacts under the weight of the other ingredients–still reserving enough space in the biscuits to create layers, but shrinking the resulting air pockets. The flour absorbs some of the water content of the butter, with still more evaporating during the rise, therefore less steam releases as the biscuits bake. Less steam released during the baking process yields a softer, more cohesive texture in the biscuits.
Food Dork Trivia aside, Angel Yeast Biscuits earn their name because I swear that I heard angels singing upon first bite. They’re just that good!
Try these heavenly homemade biscuits!
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
Kirsten Kubert
Yields 24 Biscuits
Angel Yeast Biscuits are southern style biscuits made with plenty of butter and four types of leavening so that they come out extra light and fluffy every time.
1 hr, 15 Prep Time
10 minCook Time
1 hr, 25 Total Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 4 C. all purpose flour
- 2 Tbs. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp. salt
- 2 ¼ tsp. instant (rapid rise) yeast
- 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
- 10 Tbs. very cold unsalted butter
- 1 ¾ C. 2% milk
- 1 tsp. white vinegar
- Additional 1 Tbs. 2% milk for brushing risen biscuits
Instructions
- Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats . Set them aside.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, yeast, and sugar. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Quickly run the cold butter through the large holes of a box grater to shred it over the dry ingredients. Gently toss the shredded butter to separate and coat with the flour mixture.
- Stir the vinegar into the milk. Gradually add 1 ½ C. of milk, lightly folding it into the dry ingredients to combine. Add additional milk, as necessary, until dough just comes together and pulls away from the side of the bowl without being overly wet or sticky. All of the milk may not be required for the dough to come together, depending on flour density and/or humidity in the kitchen.
- Turn dough out onto a clean and lightly floured work surface or pastry mat . Lightly flour the top of the dough. Then, gently flatten the dough with your hands to form a 1-inch thick rectangle. Gently knead the dough by folding it onto itself in thirds (envelope style), and then lightly flatten into another rectangle. Turn the dough a quarter turn and repeat this process 3 times. Having a light touch is the key to avoid over-working the dough or else the biscuits will be tough. Slow and gentle kneading is the key.
- Press or roll the kneaded dough into a large rectangle, ½-inch thick. Cut the biscuits as close together as possible using a 3-inch diameter biscuit cutter . Push straight down to cut the biscuits. Do not turn the biscuit cutter while cutting, as doing so will hinder the even rise of the biscuits. Piece together remaining dough and repeat the process until all of the dough is used.
- Place the biscuits onto prepared baking sheets, covering with a clean kitchen towel, and set in a warm, draft free place to rise until noticeably risen in height—about 1 hour.
- While the biscuits are rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Once the biscuits have sufficiently risen, lightly brush the tops with a touch of milk. Bake them for 9 to 11 minutes or until the biscuits are puffy with tops taking on a light golden hue.
- Serve warm, or cool completely on a wire rack. Biscuits store well in an airtight container at room temperature for several days; cooled biscuits may also be frozen in a zippered freezer bag for up to one month.
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