Southern Living’s Angel Biscuits: Fluffy Yeast Buttermilk Biscuits

These biscuits are the happy middle ground between a tender buttermilk biscuit and a soft dinner roll. Yeast and baking powder work together so they rise high and stay light, and a splash of buttermilk gives them a gentle tang.

Why These Angel Biscuits Stay in the Rotation

I make these whenever I want a biscuit that feels a little more special but doesn’t ask for much babysitting. The triple leavening means they reliably puff up tall no matter how cold my kitchen gets.

The dough comes together in one bowl, needs no kneading, and hangs out in the fridge for hours or even overnight. By the time I roll it out, a long slow ferment has built a mellow, buttery flavor you can’t rush.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet): fresh yeast gives the best rise, but instant works too
• 1/4 cup warm water (110°F to 115°F): if it feels like warm bath water, you’re in the right range
• 5 cups all-purpose flour: spooned and leveled, not scooped
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar: just enough to feed the yeast and round out the tang
• 1 tsp baking powder: adds a second burst of lift in the hot oven
• 1 tsp baking soda: reacts with the buttermilk for a soft crumb
• 1 tsp kosher salt: fine sea salt works, use a scant teaspoon
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces: cold butter makes flaky layers
• 2 cups whole buttermilk, well shaken: low-fat works but the biscuits won’t be as tender

Variations and Substitutions

• Swap the butter for cold lard or shortening: you’ll lose a little flavor but gain an even flakier texture, the way some old-school Southern cooks do it.
• Use honey or sorghum: replace the sugar with an equal amount of mild honey or sorghum syrup for a deeper sweetness. Reduce buttermilk by 1 tablespoon if the dough feels sticky.
• Add a handful of shredded sharp cheddar and a pinch of cayenne: fold them in when you add the buttermilk for a savory spin.
• Make them dairy-free: use unsweetened oat milk with 2 tablespoons lemon juice in place of buttermilk, and cold vegan butter sticks. The crumb will be a touch less rich.

Those same cheddar biscuits are great alongside a pot of chili.

How to Make Southern Living’s Angel Biscuits

Step 1: Bloom the Yeast

Stir the yeast and a pinch of the sugar into the warm water in a small bowl. Let it sit for 5 to 8 minutes until the mixture turns creamy and foamy. If nothing happens, the water was too hot or the yeast is old, so start fresh.

You’ll see a dome of tiny bubbles form on the surface. That foam tells you the yeast is awake and will lift your biscuits later.

Step 2: Whisk the Dry Ingredients and Cut in the Butter

Whisk the flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Drop in the cold butter pieces and toss them with the flour so they coat. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips to work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse meal with some pea-sized chunks left. Work quickly so the butter stays cold.

Those visible flecks of butter will melt in the oven and create steam, which pushes the dough into flaky layers. You’re looking for an uneven crumb, not fine sand.

Step 3: Fold in the Buttermilk and Yeast Glue

Pour the buttermilk and the foamy yeast mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon just until a shaggy, soft dough forms and no dry flour pockets remain. The dough will look sticky and rough, and that’s exactly right.

Overworking at this stage builds gluten and makes tough biscuits. Stop the moment everything comes together, even if a few streaks of flour stay.

Step 4: Chill the Dough

Scrape the dough into a large lightly greased bowl, rotate it once to coat the top, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight. The dough will firm up, making it easy to handle later, and the slow chill gives the yeast time to build a buttery, complex flavor.

Don’t skip this rest. The cold dough is easier to roll without sticking, and the biscuits bake up taller than if you shaped them warm.

Step 5: Roll and Cut the Biscuits

Turn the cold dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick, then fold it in half and pat down again gently. This simple fold creates flaky separations. Use a 2 1/2-inch round cutter dipped in flour and press straight down without twisting (twisting seals the edges). Gather the scraps, stack them, and pat out one more round of biscuits.

You’ll get about 24 biscuits arranged on a parchment-lined baking sheet with their edges barely touching. Let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes while the oven heats up, so the chill comes off just a little.

Step 6: Bake and Brush with Melted Butter

Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Slide the biscuits onto the middle rack and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through. They’re done when the tops are golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped.

Pull them out and brush the tops generously with melted butter right away. Serve warm, split open with more butter or a spoonful of jam, and watch them disappear.

Tips for Fluffy Angel Biscuits Every Time

• Keep the butter cold until it hits the dough: pop the cut butter back in the fridge while you measure the other ingredients.
• Stir the dough by hand, not a mixer: it’s easy to over-knead with a machine, and you want a light touch.
• Use fresh buttermilk: the tang mellows in the fridge, so close-to-date buttermilk works fine, but flat or sour buttermilk will throw off the rise.
• For a taller biscuit, pat the dough thicker: 1 inch yields a sky-high treat, just add 1 to 2 minutes to the bake.
• Don’t twist the cutter: press down firmly and lift straight up so the layers rise evenly.

Here’s a quick timing table for different batch sizes if you’re baking in waves:

Storing and Reheating Leftover Angel Biscuits

• Refrigerate: cooked biscuits keep in a zip-top bag at room temp for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Warm them briefly before serving.
• Freeze unbaked dough: cut biscuits, freeze on a sheet until solid, then bag them. Bake directly from frozen at 400°F, adding 3 to 4 minutes.
• Reheat: wrap a few in foil and warm in a 325°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or split and toast them in a dry skillet.

What to Serve With Angel Biscuits

These biscuits slide right onto a holiday table next to roast turkey or ham, but they’re just as good on a weeknight with a pot of soup. Their yeasty flavor holds up to a savory sausage gravy, and their slight sweetness balances salty country ham. For breakfast, split one open and tuck in a fried egg and a slice of sharp cheddar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry?

Yes, skip the blooming step and stir the instant yeast straight into the dry ingredients. Reduce the warm water to 1/4 cup cold water and add it with the buttermilk.

My dough didn’t rise much in the fridge. Is that normal?

Totally normal. Angel biscuit dough rises mostly in the oven. The long chill develops flavor, not height, so a dense cold dough will still bake up fluffy.

Can I make the dough and bake the same day without chilling overnight?

At least 2 hours in the fridge is essential for the dough to firm up and the yeast to work, but you can definitely shape and bake after those 2 hours instead of overnight.

Why did my biscuits turn out dense?

Overworking the dough or twisting the cutter are the two biggest culprits. Handle the dough as little as possible after adding the buttermilk and press the cutter straight down.

Southern Living’s Angel Biscuits Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 32 minutes mins

Servings: 24 servings

Calories: 180

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
• 1/4 cup warm water (110°F to 115°F)
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cups whole buttermilk, well shaken

Method

 

1. In a small bowl, combine yeast, warm water, and a pinch of the sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 to 8 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized pieces.
3. Stir buttermilk and yeast mixture into dry ingredients until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix.
4. Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
5. Turn dough onto a floured surface, pat to 3/4 inch thick, fold in half, and pat again. Cut with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter without twisting. Place biscuits on a parchment-lined sheet with edges touching. Let rest 10 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Bake biscuits 12 to 15 minutes until golden. Brush tops with melted butter and serve warm.

Notes

The dough needs at least 2 hours in the fridge before shaping. For the fluffiest results, make the dough the night before and let it chill overnight. Biscuits can be frozen unbaked: place cut biscuits on a tray, freeze solid, then transfer to a bag and bake from frozen, adding 3 to 4 minutes.