Angel Biscuits are a biscuit-yeast roll mashup that you’ll want to make again and again!
Easy Angel Biscuits
Angel Biscuits are a magical hybrid of a biscuit and a yeast roll. They have the best qualities of each of those all at the same time! You can serve them for breakfast with your favorite jam or just as easily for dinner with a little extra butter spread on them. Or, you know, just eat one in the middle of the day for no reason. They’re just that good.
These biscuits are made with yeast as well as baking powder and baking soda, creating light, fluffy biscuits that you’ll want to devour. They’re very easy to mix, too. The first stage will be quite familiar to you if you’ve made traditional biscuits. Give them some time to rise like a yeast bread. Then it’s back to the biscuit part of the recipe for rolling the dough and cutting out the biscuits.
Quinn wants me to tell you that these are his favorite bread ever. They’re certainly near or at the top for me, too. In fact, I don’t foresee a time when we won’t have a bag of these in our freezer just waiting to be devoured!
What are Angel Biscuits?
Unlike traditional biscuits like Buttermilk Biscuits, Angel Biscuits are made with yeast as well as baking powder and baking soda. That’s a lot of leaveners! The presence of multiple leavening agents means that these biscuits are wonderfully light and fluffy. That heavenly, light-as-air texture may be where they got their “angel” moniker.
You may also see these biscuits referred to as Bride’s Biscuits because they were considered so easy to make that a new bride could make them without issue. I’m not touching that one with a ten foot whisk, but there it is.
What You’ll Need
You won’t need any special ingredients to make these Angel Biscuits. Here are some notes about the ingredients, but be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the specific amounts.
- All-purpose flour – Make sure you measure accurately, either by weight or with the spoon and sweep method.
- Instant yeast – This easy-to-use yeast makes these biscuits quicker and easier to make. See my notes below about using instant yeast.
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Unsalted butter – Some Angel Biscuit recipes use shortening, but I prefer butter for its flavor. The butter needs to be cold for mixing. I usually cut it into cubes and return it to the refrigerator or place it in the freezer until it’s time to mix it into the dough.
- Buttermilk – Out of buttermilk? Try one of these buttermilk substitutes. I’ve also successfully made these with a straight substitution of sour cream for the buttermilk.
- Water
What is Instant Yeast?
Instant yeast is a type of yeast that is designed to work more quickly than traditional, active dry yeast. Its finer particles don’t need to be dissolved in water or proofed before using. It can be added directly to the other ingredients and will begin working right away. That means no long rise times!
Rapid-rise or quick-rise yeast are also instant yeast, although those usually have other ingredients added to make doughs rise faster.
Can I Use Active Dry Yeast?
If you prefer not to use instant yeast, you can use active dry yeast. Combine it with the warm water (100-110°F); let it stand for 5 minutes. Then add the yeast mixture along with the buttermilk. With this method, you won’t need to heat the buttermilk.
How to Make Angel Biscuits
Part biscuit and part yeast bread, these biscuits are surprisingly easy to make. Be sure to have all of your ingredients measured and account for the rise time.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.
- Add the butter. Use a pastry blender or a fork to mix the cold butter into the flour mixture until crumbly.
- Heat the liquids. Place the buttermilk and water in a saucepan or a microwave-safe bowl and heat to 100-100°F on the stovetop or in the microwave. If the buttermilk separates as it heats, that’s fine.
- Add the buttermilk mixture. Pour into the bowl with the partially mixed dough. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
- Cover and chill. Use plastic wrap to cover the bowl. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 5 days.
- Prepare for baking. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a half sheet pan or a 9″ x 13″ x 2″ baking pan with parchment paper. You can also use a cast iron skillet, although you may need more than one depending on its size.
- Finish and roll the dough. Transfer the chilled dough to a lightly floured surface, and knead it 3 or 4 times. Roll into a circle 1/2-inch thick. Fold the dough in half and repeat, rolling the dough to 1/2-inch thick again.
- Cut out the biscuits. Use a 2-inch round biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits. Re-roll the remaining dough once and continue cutting out biscuits. Place the biscuits with their sides touching in the prepared baking sheet.
- More butter! Brush the tops of the biscuits with 2 or 3 tablespoons of melted butter.
- Bake. Place the pan in the oven, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The biscuits should be golden brown. If you like, brush more melted butter on top of the warm biscuits.
Tips for Success
- What size pan to use. You can bake these in most any metal or cast iron pan, although I recommend a half sheet pan or a 9″ x 13″ x 2″ pan. The smaller of those pans makes for a tight fit, but I like the way the biscuits bake in that pan. If you’re especially efficient cutting out biscuits or are worried about squeezing them all into a 9″ x 13″ pan, then go with a half sheet pan.
- Use a biscuit cutter. While it may seem charming to cut out biscuits with a drinking glass, that won’t get you the best results. A biscuit cutter or a thin cookie cutter will cut the dough more easily.
- Don’t twist! When cutting out the biscuits, press straight down and resist the urge to twist. That little twist may seem innocent enough, but it can seal the edges and prevent the biscuits from rising as they should.
- No need to bake them all at once. This Angel Biscuit dough will keep in the refrigerator up to 5 days, so you can make a fresh batch throughout the week.
How to Store
Once the biscuits have cooled, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend storing them in the refrigerator, as they can become dry.
Can Angel Biscuits Be Frozen?
I’m very happy to tell you that these biscuits are extremely freezer friendly. I can attest that they are just as soft and amazing from the freezer as they are fresh. With just the two of us, we certainly don’t need this many biscuits at once. Instead of scaling, I like to make a full recipe and freeze the majority of them for later.
Once the biscuits have cooled, place them in an airtight, freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Properly stored, they should keep in the freezer up to 3 months. No need to defrost, either. Just warm them briefly in the oven or the microwave when you’re ready to serve.
More Biscuit Recipes
Angel Biscuits
Part biscuit and part yeast roll, these Angel Biscuits are always a favorite!
Ingredients
- 5 cups (600g) all-purpose flour
- 2 & 1/4 teaspoons (1 - 0.25 ounce package) instant yeast*
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 2 cups (474ml) buttermilk
- 1/2 cup water
- 3-6 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- Add the cold butter, and mix with a pastry blender or a fork until crumbly.
- Heat the buttermilk and water in a saucepan or the microwave to 100-110°F. (The buttermilk may separate a bit as it heats.)
- Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (up to 5 days).
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Line a half sheet pan or 9"x 13" pan with parchment paper.** Alternatively, use a cast iron skillet(s).
- Transfer the chilled dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 3 or 4 times.
- Gently roll the dough into a 1/2-inch thick circle. Fold in half and repeat, rolling the dough again to 1/2-inch thick. Use a 2-inch round cutter to cut out the biscuits. Re-roll the remaining dough once and continue cutting.
- Place the biscuits with the sides touching in the prepared pan(s).
- Brush the tops of the biscuits with 2-3 tablespoons of melted butter.
- Bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven. Brush warm rolls with more melted butter before serving or serve with butter on the side.
Notes
*If you want to use active dry yeast instead of instant, combine it with the water (100-110°F) and let it stand 5 minutes as a first step. Then add the yeast mixture along with the buttermilk (you won't have to heat the buttermilk) in step 4.
**A 9"x 13" is a tight fit, but I like the way the biscuits bake in that size pan. A half sheet pan is a safer choice for those of you that are really efficient in your biscuit cutting. Or place any extra biscuits on a small separate pan if you run out of room.
Recipe adapted from Southern Living.
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33 Comments on “Angel Biscuits”
Can the dough be frozen, then baked off later?
Hi, Gregg. I’ve only frozen the finished biscuits, so I don’t have firsthand experience with freezing the dough. I would guess you could freeze the unbaked cut-out biscuits for about a month, which is about how long I would freeze the baked biscuits.
Jennifer – I used to make Angel Biscuits and freeze them after cutting them out. I’d put a pan of them out while I was preparing dinner and bake them just as everything was nearly ready. Worked fine.
Sheila
That’s good to know, Sheila!
Do you mean to roll the dough into a 1/2 in. thick ,circle ???
Yes, that’s right.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I have pinned as well. Will be trying to make these beauties over the next few days.
Lots of funny questions! Lol ! You must have a lot of patience! I made them and my husband loves them above all else♥️
I’m glad y’all like them, Donna!
What size circle, please!?
Hi, Marilyn. I only measure the thickness, which should be 1/2-inch. It doesn’t need to be a perfect circle, so I just focus on the thickness measurement.
You are just rolling dough to a half inch depth you don’t need to know what size circle. Hope that helps.
Is this similar to the old angel biscuit recipe that my Mom used to make that you could just bake a few at a time and leave the dough in the refrigerator or a week or so. Do you think this one would work that way?
Hi, Susan. The unrolled dough can be left in the refrigerator up to 5 days. If you want to cut them out and refrigerate, I think that would be fine although the texture might change slightly.
What flour did you use that weighs 600g for 5 cups? My preferred flour is KA and according to CI it weighs 5oz per cup as do my own tests. Soooo, does the recipe require 600g or 5 cups?
thanks,
Bill
Hi, Bill. I use King Arthur all-purpose flour, which is 120g (or 4.25 ounces) per cup according to them and to my own measurements.
Hey thanks for the recipe.
Please share the recipe of the buttermilk
Hi, Shilpa. Buttermilk is a store-bought product. If you don’t have any, there are several way to substitute. For this recipe, I have substituted a milk-sour cream combination for the buttermilk. Use 6-8 tablespoons of regular milk and fill the remainder of the 2 cups with sour cream. You can also use about 2 tablespoons of vinegar and fill the remainder of the 2 cups with regular milk.
Just made this for breakfast to go with sausage gravy and it was amazing! Thank you for sharing this recipe
I’m glad you liked the biscuits, Jeffrey!
Hi! Thanks for sharing. I am thinking of attempting to make these this weekend however, I’m a bit uncertain from your directions how to cut the biscuits. Are you to roll the cut circle dough like a crescent roll? That doesn’t seem correct looking at your pics. Pls help me. 🙂
Hi, Roshel. After you use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to a circle, you’ll need to cut them out with a biscuit cutter. That’s described in step 9 of the recipe.
Would this recipe work if I only made half?
Yes, that should be fine.
Thanks!
I made these biscuits for our dinner last night and my husband and I love them. We will diffantly have them again. Thanks for sharing this recipe
I’m so glad you liked them, Carol!
Hi there. I have made these before from you and they are delicious!! I’m making today and maybe I missed this somewhere, but is there anyway you can store them cut in the 9 by 13 so you can bake them right before your meal?
Thank you!!
Hi, Barbara! I’ve not tried that with these, but I think it might work. I know you can do that with more traditional yeast rolls, but these biscuits also depend on the baking powder in addition to the yeast. Because of that, you might end up with a little different texture. I don’t know if you’ve tried freezing the baked biscuits, but I do that often and there’s very little if any difference in reheated versus fresh.
Can bread flour be substituted for all-purpose flour?
Hi, Mary. Bread flour has a higher protein content and will give you a different texture. I’ve not tried these with bread flour, so I can’t say what the end result would be. Angel biscuits should be soft and fluffy, and my guess is that bread flour wouldn’t get you that texture.
Are these biscuits supposed to rise? I have never heard of putting the dough into the fridge before you have given them a chance to rise / expand. Unless I read the recipe incorrectly. The flavor was good but they did not rise as I expected them to do. Thanks nan
Yes, the yeast plus the baking powder and baking soda should give them rise and make them light and fluffy. Because of all of that leavening powder, they don’t need a rise time like with traditional dinner rolls. The end result should be like a cross between a biscuit and a roll. If you didn’t change anything at all about the recipe, then check your yeast, baking powder, and baking soda for freshness.