These heavenly Angel Biscuits are lighter than air with a fluffy, soft interior that melts in your mouth. Truly the perfect side dish for breakfast or dinner! A delicious cross between my biscuit recipe and dinner rolls!
What Are Angel Biscuits?
Angel biscuits are a magnificent combination of a biscuit and a dinner roll. These heavenly biscuits use three different leavening agents: baking powder, baking soda, and yeast to create a lofty, softer than air biscuit that honestly just melts in your mouth.
This angel biscuit recipe is fool proof which makes it perfect for novice bakers. The use of three leavening ingredients guarantees the perfect amount of rise.
What To Serve With Angel Biscuits
These biscuits are so delicious they go with pretty much anything! You can serve them with your favorite breakfast items or alongside a savory dinner. Here are some of our favorite recipes to enjoy with these tasty Angel Biscuits:
- Crockpot Chili
- Turkey Chili
- Chicken Fried Steak
- Air Fryer Bacon or Baked Bacon
- Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients Needed
You’ll notice that these ingredients look very similar to my biscuit recipe with a few extra ingredients thrown in. You can find the full, printable recipe in the recipe card at the end of this post. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need:
- all purpose flour – make sure to spoon and level for an accurate measurement
- granulated sugar – works with the yeast and gives the biscuits a subtle sweetness
- baking powder and baking soda – work with the yeast to give these biscuits their heavenly height
- kosher salt – sea salt is also a good option
- rapid rise “instant” yeast – you will need 1 packet or 2 1/4 teaspoons
- unsalted butter – this recipes calls for butter in the biscuits and also melted butter to brush on top of the biscuits
- shortening – I like to chill the shortening so I can cut it into pieces. I use the butter flavored shortening
How To Make Angel Biscuits
Let’s take a look at how to make these biscuits. Again, refer to the full, printable recipe in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and yeast.
- Cut in the butter and shortening. You can use a pastry cutter or work it in with your hands just until pea sized pieces of butter remain.
- Add buttermilk and stir just until combined.
- Transfer the dough to a well floured surface and pat out into a square that’s about 1 inch thick. Fold the square in half and pat it out again. Rotate the dough and fold in half again and pat out again until 1 inch thick.
- Use a 2 or 2 ¼ inch biscuit cutter dipped in flour, to cut out the biscuits. Don’t twist the biscuit cutter, just push down and pull up.
- Place biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet or cast iron skillet and cover with plastic wrap or a light towel. Let rest for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Brush melted butter on the top of the biscuits and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Brush the hot biscuits with additional melted butter and serve immediately.
Tools You’ll Need
- A baking sheet – a quarter sheet pan works perfectly.
- Biscuit cutter so you get nice evenly sized biscuits.
- Parchment paper makes removal of these biscuits painless and ensures they come off in one piece.
- A pastry cutter makes quick work of cutting the butter and shortening into the flour. Two knives or forks will also work or you can use a box grater for the butter.
- A pastry brush to brush on melted butter when the biscuits are hot from the oven.
FAQs
You sure can. I like the instant yeast because it gives these biscuits a quick little rise before they go off to the oven. However, if you only have dry active yeast on hand, here’s what to do:
Instead of whisking in the sugar with the flour mixture, combine it with 1/4 cup warm water (100°F to 110°F) and stir to dissolve. Stir in the active dry yeast (you’ll use the same amount), and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. The yeast mixture will get added in with the buttermilk in step 3. The only other change you will need to make is to increase the flour from 2 1/2 cups to 2 2/3 cups to compensate for the added water.
These biscuits are great to make in advance! Biscuits can be prepared through step 5, then place biscuits on prepared baking sheet or cast iron skillet, cover and refrigerate for several hours or even overnight. To bake, just proceed with the recipe as written but add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
To freeze the biscuits: Proceed with the recipe through step 6 and then instead of baking, pop the baking sheet in the freezer to flash freeze the biscuits for 30 minutes. Then simply transfer the frozen biscuits to a freezer safe ziploc bag. The biscuits can be baked directly from the freezer, just add a few minutes to the baking time.
Sure can! I do prefer the texture of the biscuits with shortening but they are equally as delicious made with all butter. Just swap in an equal amount of butter for the shortening.
More Bread Recipes To Try
How To Make Angel Biscuits
Angel Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast 1 packet
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small pieces
- ¼ cup shortening cold, cut into pieces, butter flavored preferred
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, for brushing on biscuits
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and yeast.
- Cut in the butter and shortening using a pastry knife or work it in with your hands just until pea sized pieces of butter remain.
- Add the buttermilk and stir just until combined.
- Transfer the dough to a well floured surface and pat it out into a square that's about 1 inch thick. Fold the square in half and pat it out again. Rotate the dough and fold in half again and pat out again until 1 inch thick.
- Use a 2 or 2 ¼ inch biscuit cutter, dipped in flour, to cut out the biscuits. Don't twist the biscuit cutter, just push down and pull up.
- Place biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet or cast iron skillet and cover with plastic wrap or a light towel. Let rest for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Brush melted butter on the top of the biscuits and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Brush the hot biscuits with additional melted butter and serve immediately.
Vicky says
You may want to correct the yeast amount. A packet of yeast is 2 1/4 teaspoons (1/4 ounce), not 2 1/4 ounces. Most people would realize, but just in case. 🙂
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
You are a lifesaver Vicky! Thank you for catching that!
Pamela says
Trish — the body of your post still says 2 1/4 ounces. 🙂
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
You are an ANGEL. Thank you for catching that!