They’re called Angel Biscuits. Because they ’employ all the leavening agents available’. That’s just what my biscuits need. I think I always manage to overwork my classic dough. But these Southern charmers may make other classic Dinner Rolls obsolete!
Angel Biscuits: The ‘everything’ bun?
They call them Angel Biscuits because they’re snow-white, unbelievably light and fluffy. But I’ll always think of them as having answered a culinary prayer I’ve long offered up to the Leavening Gods…
“Please make my biscuits even taller and lighter and fluffier than they already are. I confess to being a perfectionist. I beg your forgiveness, and fervently hope you will indulge what you probably con-sider a frivolous request…”
Prayers answered…
AllRecipes contributor Catherine Jessee tells the tale in one succinct paragraph…
“Fluffy, buttery, and pillowy-light, angel biscuits are a Southern delicacy. Requiring yeast for extra oomph in the rise, [their] structure is more akin to a dinner roll than a flaky biscuit pastry,” she reveals. “If it weren’t for flaky, buttery layers still peeking through, the ‘biscuit’ label might seem a misnomer—but discerning Southerners know the crumb of a biscuit when they see [it], and a proper biscuit.”
The secret is out
So… The secret of Angel Biscuits is yeast! I kind of suspected that on the way in, when I first explored this recipe. It hadn’t occurred to me before – at any time over decades of baking – that yeast and baking powder, and a load of buttery ‘layers’ could co-exist comfortably in a single bun. But then I discovered the Angel Biscuit. And all became clear.
Jessee stresses that the dough requires more careful handling than regular biscuits, but the reward is more than worth the fuss.
“Careful rolling, deft cutting, and an essential proofing step (which is not required for traditional buttermilk biscuits) mean that angel biscuits develop the same layered rise that biscuits are known for—they’re just a little softer, a lot lighter, and reach greater heights.”
Time ‘of the essence’
Time, as the lawyers say, is ‘of the essence’ when making Angel Biscuits. You can’t just mix ’em up, roll e’m out, and bake ’em off like conventional biscuits.
Rather, the dough must be gently rolled to about 1/2 in / 2 cm thickness and cut with a sharp knife or metal cookie cutter. And placed on a baking sheet (or in a cast iron frying pan, as you prefer) ‘so they as just touching each other’, and allowed to rise until about doubled in size. The classic yeast rule. Then bake them in a pre-heated 425 F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden on top. They should rise even more in the oven!
My take
You’re going to love these biscuits. I was doubtful. But as Jessee insists, they do come out layered and buttery – just like a biscuit should be. Yet, they also have an elegant, fine, ‘pillowy’ texture which leads me to think they’ll serve admirably in place of other types of dinner rolls… Maybe out-class the traditional forms!
DO try these slightly-fussy biscuits. Especially if your family LOVES their biscuits with everything… And get ready to be a kitchen hero!
~ Maggie J.