The Best Angel Biscuits

We have all things light and airy on our minds. The sun is beginning to heat our skin and our thoughts are shifting toward flip flops and dinners on the grill and long afternoons spent at the lake. While some are dusting off salad recipes for the warmer days ahead, others of us are taking the term “light and airy” in a whole different direction: BISCUITS.

I mean.

Nothing speaks of bikinis and beaches better than biscuits, am I right? This recipe is just plain old, down home comfort food, and there are times that call for lightness of heart, NOT food.

Biscuits were a part of my childhood. We were by no means southern. In fact, we grew up just about as far away from the south as one could possibly get and still be considered a part of the lower 48. But that didn’t stop us. My mama was an excellent cook and I owe a lot of my love of food to the introductory course she gave me simply by serving delicious food. She had a rotation of regular dinner menus that came down the line every month or so. One of these was her oven fried chicken recipe. I recall my dad’s smile beaming especially bright when he would arrive home from work to the smell of her delicious chicken bubbling in the oven and the sound of the smoke alarm bellowing in the air (the thing was and still is hopeless – you can’t even boil water without it thinking the house is burning down).  

Mom’s famous fried chicken was always served with biscuits alongside. Most everything she made for us, she prepared from scratch. But there were a few regulars – usually a bread or muffin accompaniment that she either purchased or made from a mix. Bisquick was her jam (and thankfully it was ours too). With four kids that she homeschooled full time, something had to give somewhere and biscuits from the box was where it was at back then. Reflecting on this fact now, I’m grateful for the balance she demonstrated for me by doing so. It was obvious that she valued homemade meal. Yet she wasn’t a superhero (though admittedly she came close). Knowing that my mother used a mix here and there while she was raising littles helps me have grace for myself when I do the same for the sake of my sanity.

On Fried Chicken Night growing up, if I could get to the kitchen early enough, I got to do the honors with the blue and white box. My mom would let me measure the Bisquick, add the wet ingredients and roll out the dough. We had a certain plastic cup that I used to cut the biscuits to size just so. If I was lucky, there would be a small lump of dough leftover at the end, not quite large enough to form one final biscuit. I’d look toward my mom expectantly and she would give me a subtle nod. I would pop the raw dough in my mouth eagerly. It didn’t taste good; it didn’t taste bad. It just was. But being the one there to eat it always made me feel special somehow.

My memories of this meal are so fond that of course I had to recreate my own variations for my little family. Years ago, I found a favorite oven-fried chicken recipe that my husband and I both really enjoy that you can read about here. Next on my list was to come up with a flaky, airy, from-scratch biscuit recipe that didn’t include the dreaded: vegetable shortening (one ingredient that I simply cannot let touch my kids’ lips in good conscious). I’m happy to report that I have finally found that recipe that brings me one step closer to rounding out my meal. The secret ingredient that makes these biscuits so airy is yeast, of all things, which is why they are called “angel” biscuits (I learned that this is a thing, apparently).

Throughout my years of cooking, I have learned some tips and tricks from those who have gone before that have helped ease my processes. One such trick is to freeze sticks of butter for recipes like scones or doughs or biscuits (anything that calls for you to “cut in butter”). Once the butter is cold, it can be easily grated with a cheese grater which breaks the butter into the small pieces called for without all the “cutting in.” When you add the grated butter to the dry ingredients - voila – “pea-sized” lumps form almost magically all on their own (thanks Katrina for this one – now I have no excuse NOT to make scones ALL THE TIME). I now store boxes of butter in the freezer for this soul purpose - so I can always make delicious biscuits or scones on a whim, without having to wait 15 impatient minutes for my butter to harden in the freezer. (But if you must know, you CAN actually grate fridge-temperature butter too. It is titch more challenging but it works in a pinch if you absolutely can’t wait 15 minutes like I don’t seem to be able to).

For the most part I think this recipe is self-explanatory. I would only give you a couple of cautionary notes: making sure you combine the yeast with WARM water – not hot, not cold, warm. When you stick your finger under the running faucet, it should feel warmer to you than room air but you shouldn’t have the urge to pull your finger back from under the flow. This is an indicator that the water is too hot. “Just right” warm water ensures that the yeast has what it needs to “do it’s thing” without killing it.

The second cautionary tidbit I would offer you is this: knead the dough as little as possible. Your human nature will try to convince you to work that stuff more than you should. DON’T! It will feel insufficient but, once the dough is mixed, only knead it 5 times. It will maintain it’s airiness this way.

So there you have it! My “light and airy” recipe to get you all prepped for beach season. ;) Serve the finished biscuits with butter and jam. And definitely a proud smile. The diners around your table are sure to be impressed.

The Best Angel Biscuits

  

1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)

1/2 cup warm water

5 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces or grated

2 cups low-fat buttermilk

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in ½ cup warm water (water should feel warm compared to room air but not hot). Let stand for 5 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. It should begin to bubble some (this shows that your yeast is still active).

While you wait, combine dry ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until a lumpy meal begins to form. (Alternatively, place butter in the freezer for 10-15 minutes and then grate using cheese grater before mixing into dry ingredients). Add bubbly yeast mixture and buttermilk to flour mixture and stir just until moist. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450°.

Heavily flour a counter top or marble pastry board and turn dough out on in and knead about 5 times (kneading it more will result in a less airy biscuit). Roll dough out until ½-inch thick. Using a 2 ½-inch circular cookie cutter or a cup with a diameter about the same width (I use my mason jar glasses), cut dough into circles and place on greased baking sheet. Lump together remaining dough scraps and roll out again until all the biscuits have been cut. Bake for 12 minutes or until desired degree of golden brown color has been achieved. Serve with butter and jam for breakfast or dinner.

Makes 2 dozen biscuits

Italian Sausage and Fontina Biscuit Sandwiches

I'm feeling rather uninspired today, on this, my Friday morning "off" from my regular life. I've been feeling a bit like I lost myself in the bleary-eyed, sleep-deprived season of birthing and raising my 3 children and my husband and I are on a quest to get me back to thriving. One thing we've identified as essential is that I get some time to myself. Like totally alone. Nobody asking nothing of me. So that's what Friday mornings usually have in store for me lately. Frankly, it's weird. After having little voices and limbs demanding something of me every millisecond of every day for 6 straight years, the silence feels unnatural.

Maybe that's because it isn't exactly silent in here. Before you get some crazy idea in your head that I'm in a spa somewhere, feet up, typing while having my back massaged, let me assure you - it's not quite that glamorous. Actually, I'm sitting in a grocery store coffee shop on a busy highway while I wait for my luxury vehicle (ahem, minivan) to get itself a shiny new set of wheels. Also, did I mention there is a lady in here on her cell phone with not just a singular file folder but her entire filing system which she is pushing around in a giant shopping cart? She's anxiously shrieking into her phone about some real estate something or other that went haywire, all the while multitasking and yelling random things across the entire coffee shop to the other couple in her party. She keeps saying stuff like "I can't hear anything in here" and let me say aloud what the rest of us patrons are all thinking: "NEITHER CAN WE, LADY!!" Yikes. It makes me hope Graham and I never made a scene quite this big win our home purchase nearly went down the tubes.

Anyway, I feel like I'm in a bit of a cooking funk lately. It's probably mostly because my priorities right now are fast and easy and the recipes I gravitate toward don't usually fall into either of those categories. It's my spiritual gift - making uncomplicated things excruciatingly complicated. I was lamenting to my husband the other night "I need to start cooking something good again" to which he is supposed to respond "Oh honey, everything you cook is good!" Well, he didn't say that. Which is so totally crazy. Because, who in their right mind doesn't like eating wet, slippery pesto made out of shards of zucchini instead of basil? Umm. Everyone in our entire family, I guess. (That was a first for my pasta-loving crew!) Instead, he just kept quietly eating whatever slop I'd placed in front of him, one forkful after the other.

But school has started for two of my kids which means I have recently stumbled upon this thing called margins in my life. And they have magical powers like making me feel rested, less stressed, and more excited about cooking. More excited about most things, actually. Now that I'm no longer in survival mode 100% of the time, I think (hope!) I'm coming out of this cooking funk as I'm pretty sure a couple of the items I prepared this week were tasty. (Ask my family - they are my true jury). Unfortunately I didn't photograph them which is why I'm here posting a recipe I haven't made for like a year. Because it's been about that long since the cooking was exciting over here. But I promise this one is good. Like really good.

Although the title technically refers to it as a "sandwich," you're definitely going to want a fork and knife to eat it as it isn't the kind you can safely pick up. Unless you prefer all the fillings crumbled in your crotch. For some reason, this recipe always sounds good to me on Sunday nights. My husband grew up eating Sunday night scone dinners and this tradition has carried over on occasion into our married life (though not often enough if you ask me!) Sometimes I like this more hearty alternative because it provides protein and even a smidge of veggies along with the yummy scone-like biscuit, leaving me satisfied all around. I typically use jarred roasted peppers to make this a quicker Sunday night option. If you're hoping for seconds, definitely make a double batch of the biscuit portion. There always seems to be plenty of filling but never enough biscuit for the carb lovers over here.

Hopefully some more recent recipe success stories will be headed your way soon, but in the mean time, make these and pardon me as I work on amping up my cooking game.

Italian Sausage and Fontina Biscuit Sandwiches
(adapted slightly from Food and Wine Magazine)

For the filling:
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound hot Italian sausages, pricked with a fork
1 roasted red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and minced
6 scallions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup shredded Fontina cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the biscuits:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold buttermilk
1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the sausages, cover and cook over moderate heat until nicely browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes total. Drain the sausages and cut into 1/2-inch chunks.

Transfer the sausage to a microwave-safe bowl. Add the roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, scallions, olives, Parmesan and 1/4 cup of the Fontina to the sausage and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Lightly butter a baking sheet. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, blend in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gently stir in the buttermilk until almost incorporated. Using your hands, gently mix the dough until blended.

On a lightly floured work surface, form the dough into a square. Roll or pat the square into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half and cut each half in half again to make 4 biscuits; transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with the cream and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
Bake the biscuits in the upper third of the oven for 10 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 400° and bake for about 10 minutes longer, until the biscuits are pale golden and just cooked through. Let cool slightly.

Rewarm the sausage filling in the microwave. Split the warm biscuits and fill with the remaining 1/2 cup of Fontina and the sausage filling. Close the sandwiches and serve.

Serves 4