In search of…..the perfect biscuit.
I found recipes. I tested them. I made notes on each version of what to tweak next time. Then I realized that I had no time to keep testing before I posted for today. I knew I wanted to post a biscuit recipe since it’s National Biscuit Month in September, but how to do that when I was out of time?
And then I thought, “Hey, what about Angel Biscuits like the ones I used to make when Rick and I first got married?”
But crud…..I’m on vacation and my recipe is at home in a recipe box. Well, let’s go ask the Google.
And, y’all, I literally just clicked on the first recipe that came up.
Trisha Yearwood’s Angel Biscuits.
Sure….okay…let’s try this one. Bit different than what I remember, but whatever.
(Keep in mind that, at this point, I’m just thinking this recipe will “have to do” for National Biscuit Month until I can find the ultimate recipe through more testing.)
So I make this recipe for my family (and some visiting family) and hope for the best.
And that’s exactly what I got. THE BEST.
Responses from family members…and I quote:
Amazing!
Bojangles has nothing on this biscuit!
This is the best biscuit I’ve ever had!
I just found my new happy place!
How serendipitous! I find the ultimate recipe while thinking I’m just going to “make do” with plain old Angel Biscuits.
Well, these are not like the ones I used to make (although those were mighty good). These are, well, incredible. They took a little longer with rise time, but they are SOOOOO worth it!
Try ’em out and let me know what you think.
- 5 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 5 Tbsp. sugar (divided)
- 1/4 cup warm water (90-100 degrees F)
- 1/2 ounce active dry yeast (2 pkg)
- 1 cup salted cold butter, diced (2 sticks)
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 4 Tbsp. melted butter
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 3 Tbsp of the sugar.
- In a small bowl combine the yeast, sugar, and water. Stir this until the yeast dissolves and set it aside. Let stand for a few minutes until bubbles appear.
- Add the cold diced butter to the flour mixture and toss with hands. Use a pastry cutter to break up the butter and cut it into the flour. Stop when you have pea-sized chunks of butter mixed in with the flour.
- Add the buttermilk and the yeast mixture to the flour/butter mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until it’s mostly combined. It will probably be pretty crumbly looking.
- Turn out onto a very lightly floured surface and knead until the dough comes together (no more than about 15 times). Place back in bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel, and allow to sit and rise for about an hour.
- When you’re ready to cut the biscuits, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
- Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface again. Press the dough out to about 1-1.5″ thick. Fold over onto itself and press out again. Repeat this technique 3 times. Then press out to desired thickness (I like 1-1.5″).
- Using a floured biscuit cutter, cut out your biscuits making sure NOT TO TWIST the cutter. Just go straight down and back up again. Place cut biscuits in a 9×13-inch pan or large cast iron skillet that has been brushed with some of the melted butter.
- Do not just smush together the leftover biscuit dough for cutting more biscuits. Repeat the whole press/fold technique each time you need to recut.
- Brush the tops of the melted butter (save some for when they come out of the oven).
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the tops are a golden brown. Brush with melted butter and enjoy!