If you’re new to baking, here’s introducing to you the great recipe of ‘Angel Biscuit.’  It’s an aa good recipe for new brides and beginner cooks because it’s fail-proof. It’ll always rise. It will put to an end your constant search for the perfect recipe.  Lard makes this recipe work and gives it a lightness that doesn’t come with butter but also ensures that the flavor of the buttermilk is not overpowered. The recipe’s three types of raising agents: baking powder, baking soda, and yeast give it a soft, fluffy-textured which is half-bread and half-soft roll.

Recipe Ingredients:

Ingredients	US Measurement	Metric Measurement
Lard, chilled (or shortening)	1 cup	224g
Water warmed to body temp.	¼ cup	60ml
Dried yeast, fast action	¼ ounce	7g
All-purpose flour, plain	5 cups	720g
Sugar, granulated	¼ cup	44.75g
Baking powder, homemade	1 tablespoon	15g
Baking soda	1 teaspoon	5g
Fine sea salt	1 tablespoon	15g
Buttermilk, room temperature	2 cups	480g
Butter, unsalted	2 tablespoons	30g

Recipe Instructions:

• Begin by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Measure The Lard:

• Measure out the required quantity of lard using a digital scale.
• Cut the lard into large cubes; put it into a bowl and place back in the refrigerator for it to retain its firmness until when needed.

Note To Baker: Coldness helps it to cut into dry ingredients without melting into the butter. Melting Butter is key to a soft texture.

Activate The Yeast:

• Have some tap water warmed to just above body temperature (100 degrees F or 38.7 degrees C ) using an instant thermometer.
• Measure out the needed quantity of water into a small bowl.
• Put in the dried, fast action yeast, mix with your finger and leave to stand for 5 minutes for complete dissolution.

Mix Dry Ingredients:

• Gather the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder (homemade if possible), baking soda and fine sea salt into one large bowl.

Note To Baker: The preservative, aluminum sulfate, contained in commercial baking powder imparts an unappetizing metallic taste to baked products mostly noticeable in quick bread, scones, and muffins. To avoid this occurrence, it is advisable to use homemade baking powder which can be prepared using the recipe beneath this write-up.

• Whisk them together for about 30 seconds to be sure that all the ingredients are properly mixed up.

Coat The Lard:

• Collect the lard from the refrigerator and toss it into the flour mixture.
• Lightly coat the lard cubes with the flour using either a wooden spoon or a pastry cutter.

Note To Baker: This checks a situation where the lard sticks to the pastry cutter or your hands.

Combine The Lard And The Dry Ingredients

• Quickly combine the cold lard and the dry ingredients using either a pastry cutter which is faster or your hands. Keep pushing down and twisting the cutter until you have a mixture of both large-sized pea pieces as well as breadcrumb-sized pieces.

Combine The Milk & Yeast-Water Mixture:

• Pour the buttermilk into a glass measuring jug, add the yeast-water mixture that you set aside earlier into it; give it a quick stir for proper combination.

Knead In The Milk & Yeast Mixture:

• Using the end of a wooden spatula, make a large well in the flour mixture; pour in the buttermilk and yeast mixture, stir until the mixture just combines– you should still have a very sticky mixture.
• Now, lightly flour both the work surface and your hands; transfer the dough to the floured work surface.
• Knead delicately for 6-8 times until it thoroughly combines – the dough should still have a measure of stickiness so be careful not to overwork it.

Roll & Cut:

• Split the dough into two parts and set one-half aside; leave the second-half still on the work surface.
• Using a rolling pin and your hands, form the dough into a disc of about ½-inch thick with a 2½-inch drinking glass or a round biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits.

Transfer, Cover & Proof:

• Move cut-out biscuits to the parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure you leave a bit of room, about 1-inch, around each biscuit so that they have room to rise.
• Loosely cover the baking sheet with a cling film; let the biscuits rise for about 40-45 minutes.
• With your oven preheated to 450 degrees F or 230 degrees C (Note To Baker: 210 degrees C, if you are using a fan oven), bake until the tops of the biscuits are a golden brown (should be in 10 minutes).

Test For Doneness:

• You may test for doneness by checking for when the biscuits’ color turns to a golden brown.
• You may also carefully touch their tops as you press down slightly – if it pops back up, then it is done.
• Once the biscuits are out of the oven, brush their tops with a good salted, melted butter.

Note To Baker: This final step makes a whole lot of difference and should not be ignored.

Serving:

• This Recipe makes 30 half-inch biscuits.

How Best To Serve The Dish:

• They are best enjoyed hot out of the oven.
• Can also be served warm at room temperature.
• You can freeze, and reheat to serve
• Can be served with country ham and a fried egg on top.
• Can be whipped up for a holiday meal.
• It’s ideal for parties and brunch.
• You can serve it with a smear of Brooke’s Mustard Dip and a slice of country ham for a delicious breakfast sandwich.
• It can be served with soup on a Sunday roast.
• Some people like it warm with mild, melted cheese and a few slices of good country ham.
• It’s equally good when split in half and served with butter, honey or jam.

How To Store

Baked Biscuits:

• Allow the baked biscuits to cool awhile on the baking sheet before transferring them to the cooling racks; do not place them too close together to avoid them sticking together.
• Stack them on each other only when they have completely
• Tightly wrap the biscuits in heavy-duty aluminum foils/freezer wraps or package them in freezer bags.
• Label the package with the recipe name and date.
• Store at zero degrees F or lower.

Unbaked Biscuits/Dough:

• Put your cut-out unbaked biscuits on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 hours.
• Put your prepared dough in a glass air-tight container and store in a refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Using a saran wrap, double-wrap your dough and put in a zippered bag. Label the package to indicate the recipe name and date. Stores up to one month in the freezer.

How Long To Store:

Biscuits:

• Tightly- wrapped biscuits, packaged in freezer bags stores up to one month.

Dough:

• Cut-out unbaked biscuit dough stores up to 2 hours in the freezer.
• Prepared dough put in a glass air-tight container stores up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
• Double-wrapped dough inside zippered bag stores up to one month in the freezer.

NOTE TO BAKER: Most dough and biscuits store up to 6 weeks in the freezer.

Tips For Homemade Baking Powder

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons, cream of tartar
• 1 tablespoon, baking powder
• 1 teaspoon, cornstarch (corn flour)

Directions:

• Measure out the cream of tartar, baking soda, and cornstarch into a small bowl.
• Using your small sifter, sift the mixture back and forth between two bowls until it combines properly.
• Place the sifted mixture (baking powder) into an air-tight container
• Store in a dark cupboard for about 6

Yield:

• 3 tablespoons (or 6 teaspoons) of baking powder

Note to Baker: Double or halve the quantity in the recipe to get your needed quantity.