Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits with Honey Butter

One of the fun things about having a food blog is that it challenges me to conquer recipes that have given me difficulties in the past.  Enter biscuits.  One of my husband's favorite foods and every time that I tried to make them, something just wasn't right.   I've always been determined to learn how to make light and fluffy biscuits, but had yet to find the right recipe. 

Two weeks ago I was in Houston for work and had dinner at Rio Ranch, a restaurant attached to our HIlton Houston Westchase.  Before dinner, they served us a huge basket of biscuits, cornbread and honey butter. I could have made a meal on those biscuits.  They were so fluffy and delicious.  

After eating the biscuits, I was perplexed as to what made them so light and fluffy and then I figured it out.  Those biscuits had yeast in them!  Upon further research, I found that yeasted biscuits are actually called angel biscuits and I decided to give a recipe a try.  

These biscuits are exactly what I was looking for.  They are flaky, crumbley, buttery and fluffy as can be.  I felt like I would have made a southern cook proud with these babies!  Slather them with some whipped honey butter and you have yourself some down home cookin'. 

Fluffy Biscuits

Recipe from Add a Pinch

4 cups self rising flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 packet yeast

3 tablespoons warm water

1/2 cup vegetable shortening 

2 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and grease a pan or line a cookie sheet with parchment. 

In a large bowl, add flour, sugar and salt and whisk to combine.  In a small bowl, add warm water to the yeast and mix to activate.  The mixture should be smooth and velvety.  

Add shortening to flour and cut into it with two forks or a pastry cutter.  When ready, mixture should resemble small peas.  Form a well and add the buttermilk and yeast mixture.  Slowly bring down the sides and mix until a dough forms.  Do not over-mix.  

Heavily flour the counter and turn dough out.  Dough will be very sticky, so be sure to continue flouring, flipping and moving the dough around.  Pat out dough into a disc about 1 inch thick.  Cut biscuits and place in prepared pan or sheet pan.  

Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.  Remove from oven and brush the tops with melted butter. 

Makes 12-15 biscuits.  

Honey Butter

1 stick butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons cream, room temperature

1/4 cup honey

Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and whip with whisk attachment for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.