Hardees Biscuit Recipe

There are few comfort foods better than a warm Hardees biscuit smothered in gravy. These flaky buttermilk biscuits are wildly popular for a reason—they’re delicious.

Thankfully you don’t have to live near a Hardees to enjoy these southern treats. Although I don’t know the secret recipe, these copycat biscuits come very close to the real taste. The result is super tender, extra buttery and irresistible homemade biscuits.

Since they can be made in large batches, this Hardees biscuits recipe is perfect to make ahead and freeze. Serve them with a bowl of Southern-style chicken stew for dinner. Or, do it like Hardees and cut them in half to make a hearty breakfast sandwich.

Tips and Tricks for Making Hardees Biscuits

• Give the biscuit dough space. The trick to a perfectly shaped biscuit is to give it plenty of space in the oven. This will ensure the biscuits bake uniformly, and cook evenly through.


• Brush the biscuits to make them crispy. To get a crispy biscuit outside with a soft buttery inside, I make sure to brush melted butter on the biscuits before and after baking. This also brings out the buttery flavor in the dough.


• Be gentle and fold twice. Another crucial trick to the perfect biscuit is to be gentle. Instead of using a mixer or kneading, gently fold the dough onto itself. This helps create layers of fat and flour, without allowing the fat to melt.


• Weigh the ingredients. As tempting as it is to eyeball your biscuit ingredients, you’ll have better results if you weigh everything. Weighing is even more accurate than using measuring cups. This will ensure your proportions are correct, and the recipe turns out as it should.


• Don’t overwork the dough. Making biscuits is pretty much the opposite of making bread. Kneading the dough for a long period of time will melt the butter, and you won’t get that flakiness. Kneading also develops gluten in your dough, and you’ll end up with dense biscuits. Your dough should be rough and crumbly before you shape it. If it’s smooth, you’ve worked the dough too much.

All About The Hardees Biscuits Ingredients

Flour

There are two main types of flour you can use for biscuits:

• All-purpose: This is the most common type of flour in grocery stores. The traditional flour for biscuits is White Lily brand, but this is hard to find outside of the southern US. Opt for a low-protein all-purpose flour if you can–it will make your baked goods lighter.


• Self-rising: This type of flour has added leavener—namely baking soda and salt. It also has a lower protein content than regular all-purpose flour. If you decide to use self-rising flour, then just don’t add any additional baking powder.

Buttermilk

Buttermilk is a fermented dairy product, traditionally made from the liquid leftover after churning butter.

It’s used in biscuits because of its acidity. The acidity will react with the other leavening agents – making the biscuit dough rise. Regular milk won’t create such a reaction, so cold buttermilk is a must for fluffy, delicious biscuits.

Baking Powder

Baking powder is a dry product made from sodium bicarbonate. It is used frequently in baking to help foods rise.

Sugar

While these biscuits aren’t sweet, sugar is used in the recipe to help enhance other flavors. In many baked goods, sugar interacts with other ingredients to create the final texture and flavor.

Oil, Lard or Vegetable Shortening

Something biscuits need a lot of is fat. Hardee’s biscuits use vegetable shortening for their fat.

Oil is another fat option, but again it will not give you that same flakiness. Lard is a traditional Southern ingredient that is less healthy, but will give your biscuits a great savory flavor.

Method

1. Preheat the Oven
   

   Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.
   

2. Combine Dry Ingredients
   

   Using a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Mix well.
   

3. Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients
   

   Take your shortening and combine them with the flour mixture. I like to use my fingers to blend the shortening until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Some like to use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.

   Add the buttermilk and mix until a dough starts to form. Turn out the dough onto a floured countertop.
   

4. Fold Dough
   

   Lightly roll out the dough until it is flat, but still crumbly. Fold the dough once. Roll it out again, then fold over a second time.
   

5. Cut Out Biscuits
   

   Use the round cookie cutter to cut biscuit shapes from your dough. Make sure you don’t twist the cookie cutter, as this will seal the edges. Cut as many biscuits as you can.
   

6. Brush With Butter
   

   Arrange your biscuits on a baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to coat the top with a layer of melted butter.
   

7. Bake Until Golden Brown
   

   Bake biscuits for 12-15 minutes, or until they have a light golden brown color. Once your biscuits are out of the oven, brush another layer of melted butter on top.
   

How to Store and Freeze Hardee’s Biscuits

These biscuits will keep fresh at room temperature for 1-2 days. Make sure you store them in a plastic container or covered with cling wrap.

You can also make the biscuits ahead of time and freeze the dough. Make sure you shape the dough ahead of time and arrange the uncooked biscuits on a baking tray. Cover with cling wrap, then store in the freezer until frozen.

Once the uncooked biscuits are frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer bag or a container. Then just simply remove them from the freezer and bake when you’re ready. They’ll keep like this for about 3 months.

I also sometimes freeze the biscuits after cooking them. Just make sure they are completely cooled beforehand. Any excess moisture will make the biscuits gummy when you thaw them later.

Ways to Enjoy Hardees Biscuits

My favorite part about these biscuits is that they pretty much go with anything.

• Hardee’s biscuits make the perfect breakfast sandwich with egg, cheese and bacon. For a lighter breakfast option, try them warmed up with jam or honey. For a sweet option, add a blueberry topping.


• If you want to try a traditional Southern offering, serve them smothered with sausage gravy. They are also the perfect accompaniment with chicken or beef stew. The possibilities are endless!