RECIPE

Angel Biscuits

• Recipe by Scott Howell

These biscuits are the lightest and most buttery ones we've ever tried. They come from Scott Howell, the chef at Nana Grill in Durham, North Carolina, who shared his family recipe in F&W's April 2001 issue. Also called bride's biscuits, these biscuits are popular with novice cooks because their use of two leaveners makes the recipe virtually foolproof. The dough needs to be refrigerated overnight, so plan accordingly.

• Staff Favorite

Ingredients

1. 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 envelope)
2. 1/4 cup plus 1 pinch of sugar
3. 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
4. 5 cups self-rising all-purpose flour
5. 1 cup cold solid vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
6. 2 cups buttermilk
7. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and the pinch of sugar in the lukewarm water and let stand for 5 minutes, or until foamy. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the flour with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles small peas. Add the yeast and buttermilk and stir until the dough just comes together.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead 5 times: the dough should have a soft, moist texture. Return the dough to a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough overnight.
3. Transfer the chilled dough to a lightly floured surface and knead 10 times. Roll out the dough to a 16-inch round 1/3 inch thick. Using a 2 1/4-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out biscuits as close together as possible. Gather the dough scraps, knead 3 times and reroll, then stamp out more biscuits as close together as possible from the rerolled dough. Discard the remaining scraps.
4. Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the melted butter. Fold the biscuits in half, then brush the unbuttered sides with the remaining melted butter and place on the prepared baking sheets. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the biscuits rise in a draft-free place for 2 hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 400°. Bake the biscuits for about 15 minutes, or until browned on the bottom and light golden on top. Serve warm.

Make Ahead

The dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.