Best Angel Biscuits

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My Best Angel Biscuits recipe is a great biscuit recipe, made with regular all purpose flour and adding both instant yeast and baking powder to the dough to give the biscuits great rise. These light and airy biscuits are delicious served warm, straight from the oven, spread with butter and honey or jam. Or served plain they are the perfect accompaniment to any meal.

Best Angel Biscuits

This recipe makes the Best Angel Biscuits and came from an old church cookbook. We made these all the time when I was growing up.

The Old Fashioned Angel Biscuits recipe has been adapted slightly as the original recipe did not call for any rise time outside of the oven. I found that just 30 minutes resting time before going into the oven does produce the best results.

I think I would use the term “biscuit” loosely here. These light as air angel biscuits are soft and fluffy, not as dense and “crumbly” as a typical southern style biscuit.

Why are they called angel biscuits?

Angel biscuits are so called, because they are a light and airy biscuit and once opened, are said to resemble little angel wings.

What is the cold rise method for baking biscuits?

This recipe uses a “cold rise” method, which means that the biscuits are placed into a cold oven. Do not preheat the oven, the oven is only turned on once the biscuits are placed into the oven. The biscuits will finish rising in the oven as the oven heats up. As soon as the oven reaches 400 degrees F, set a timer for 10 minutes and allow the biscuits to continue baking until golden brown.

How to make the Best Angel Biscuits:

• In a small bowl, stir together the yeast, warm water, and honey.
• Set aside for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is foamy.

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

• Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry cutter.
• Cut until the butter is completely combined.

• Add the milk and yeast mixture to the dry ingredients.
• Mix until combined, then turn out onto a floured surface.

• Knead for 30-60 second until smooth (the dough will still be sticky).
• Pat the dough out into a 6×6 inch square and cut into 9 square biscuits.
• Place the biscuits onto a greased cookie sheet and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
• Set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes to begin rising.

• Remove the kitchen towel, then place the sheet of biscuits in a cold oven.
• Set the oven to 400F degrees.
• When the oven temperature reaches 400F, bake the biscuits for 10 minutes until golden brown.
• Remove the biscuits from the hot oven and place on a wire rack to cool a little.
• Serve the biscuits warm with butter, jam, or honey.

Recipe ingredients & substitutions:

• RAISING AGENTS: I use a combination of instant yeast alongside baking powder to make these light and fluffy biscuits.
• WATER: warm water is added to the biscuit dough, just be sure to heat it to about 110 degrees F first. Do not use cold water.
• SUGAR: a tablespoon of honey adds a subtle sweetness to the biscuits. You could substitute with maple syrup or regular granulated sugar if you prefer.
• FLOUR: I use all-purpose flour in this angel biscuit recipe.
• SALT: I always add sea salt to the biscuit dough.
• BUTTER: You can use salted or unsalted butter in the biscuit dough. Don’t use margarine or shortening as they just won’t work the same.
• MILK: You can use either full fat or 2% milk in the biscuit dough.

Serving suggestion:

I like to serve angel biscuits warm, straight from the oven, spread with butter and a spoon of honey or my favorite jam.

These angel biscuits are light and airy and I also serve them to accompany any meal where I would normally serve a regular bread roll. Try them with soups and stews as they are ideal for mopping up sauces and gravy.

They make a great addition to any roast dinner and you will find these on my table for any holiday like Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter.

Recipe hints & tips:

• This biscuit recipe makes 9 biscuits, but if you are feeding a crowd the recipe is easily doubled up.
• Be sure to use a little flour on the board when working with the dough to stop it sticking. But just enough as you don’t want to the dough to becoming too floury.
• As with all biscuits, don’t overwork the dough, the less you handle the dough, the lighter the biscuit.
• If you work dough too much you will end up with tough biscuits. Instead just bring the dough together on the board, give it a gentle knead then shape it and cut it.
• Use a sharp knife to cut through the dough.

FAQs

How to store angel biscuits?

Once baked and cooled, leftover biscuits can be stored in an airtight container on the counter top for 2-3 days, although they rarely last that long in my kitchen.

Can you freeze angel biscuits?

Yes you can. I often make a double batch of biscuits, enjoying a batch now and freezing the second batch for another day. Bake the biscuits and allow them to cool completely before placing in an airtight container in the freezer. They can be stored for up to 3 months. Defrost and warm through in the oven before serving again.

Can you make biscuit dough the night before?

Once the dough is made, you can shape it and cut into squares. Then cover the cookie sheet and place into the refrigerator and allow the biscuits to rise overnight then bake fresh in the morning.

What makes biscuits light and fluffy?

Hydration is key to any bread dough and ensures the biscuits are light and fluffy. I use warm water and well as milk in the biscuit dough. I also use baking powder for added lift.

Are biscuits better with butter or shortening?

When is comes to making biscuits butter is always my go to.

Don’t miss these additional delicious Bread Recipes here at When Is Dinner:

• Homemade Cornbread
• Sprite Biscuits
• Homemade Banana Bread
• Homemade Pumpkin Bread
• Strawberry Bread
• Blueberry Breakfast Bread
• Cinnamon Swirl Bread

These are a few items I find helpful when preparing these Angel Biscuits in my own kitchen:

OXO Good Grips 3-piece Mixing Bowl Set, White Bowls with Blue/Green/Brown HandlesOXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Bladed Dough Blender and CutterPME Square 6Biscuit Bliss: 101 Foolproof Recipes for Fresh and Fluffy Biscuits in Just MinutesThe Southern Biscuit Cookbook: Learn to Make Homemade Biscuits for Breakfast, Lunch or DinnerTaste of Home Copycat Restaurant Favorites: Restaurant Faves Made Easy at Home