Recipe: Angel Biscuits

You won’t need a knife sharpened by Demetrius Amrein to enjoy these biscuits. Made from a beloved recipe passed down by his grandmother, these golden pillow-soft treats hold a great deal of sentimental value to Amrein’s family.

Ingredients

• 1 package yeast
• ¼ cup warm water
• 2 ½ cup flour
• 1 tsp baking power
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• ½ cup shortening
• 1 cup milk

Instructions

1. Combine yeast and warm water in small bowl.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in large bowl.
3. Cut in shortening to a coarse consistency.
4. Stir yeast paste into milk, and then add to biscuit dough, stirring with a large spatula until rough dough forms; use hands to make sure all dry ingredients at bottom of bowl are incorporated.
5. Place dough on a floured surface, and gently coat it. Knead a few times. Pat the dough out into a rough rectangle about an inch thick. Fold in half, then repeat the process two more times. After the final fold, pat it out to about an inch thick and cut out biscuit rounds using a biscuit cutter (gather together scraps and cut out to use up all the dough). 
6. Place biscuits in a pan for about an hour until they rise. 
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 10–12 minutes.