Hardees Biscuit Recipe (Tested)

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. The possibilities are endless!

Print

Hardee’s Biscuits Recipe

• Prep Time25 min
• Cook Time20 min
• Total Time45 min

• Servings10 to 12
• Yield10 biscuits

Level: Intermediate

Ingredients

For the crust:

4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 cup of Crisco shortening

1/2 cup of melted butter, to brush

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 tbsp salt

Equipment

1 large bowl

Cookie cutter (or a round glass dipped in flour)

Baking sheet

Pastry brush

Rolling pin

Method

1. Preheat the Oven
   

   Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.
   

2. Combine Dry Ingredients
   

   Using a large mixing bowl, combine 4 cups of flour, salt, sugar 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.

   

   If the dough is too sticky, add more flour little by little. 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 4 to 5 times to obtain nice layers. Roll out until you get a 3 to 4 inch thick dough.

   

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. Use the excess straps of dough to form more biscuits.

   

6. Brush With Butter
   

   Arrange your biscuits on a baking sheet. Make sure they touch each other. Doing so help them to rise in the oven.

   

   Use a pastry brush to coat the top with a layer of melted butter.

   

7. Bake Until Golden Brown
   

   Bake biscuits for 15-20 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.

   

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.


• 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.


• Add more flour or buttermilk until you get the perfect texture. If the dough is too dry, add more buttermilk. But if the dough is too sticky, add more flour. Simply make sure to add a little buttermilk or flour at a time to get the perfect dough.


• Substitute The Shortening. Something biscuits need a lot of is fat. Hardee’s biscuits use vegetable shortening for their fat. Butter can also be used for a more enhanced flavor, but I find they give you a less flaky biscuit. 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.


• Use Self-Rising Flour. There are two main types of flour you can use for biscuits: all purpore or self-rising. 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. If you decide to use self-rising flour, then just don’t add any additional baking powder.

How to Store and Freeze Hardee’s Biscuits

• Store: These delicious 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.
• Freeze:You can also freeze the biscuits after cooking them. They’ll keep for about 3 months.