✔ Updated · fixed baking powder amount, dough thickness and oven temperature
These Bojangles biscuits are my copycat-style take on the tall, flaky buttermilk biscuits from the Southern chain, with tender layers and a buttery golden top. On Saturday mornings, Max is first in line with the honey.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Keep the shortening and buttermilk cold and stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together. Cold fat makes steam in the oven, and that's what makes flaky layers.
They come together with a handful of ingredients: self-rising flour with a little extra baking powder, a touch of powdered sugar, cold shortening and buttermilk. The keys are keeping the fat cold, mixing the dough only until it holds together, folding it a couple of times for layers and baking in a hot 450°F oven. Serve them warm with butter and honey, or split them for chicken, sausage or egg breakfast biscuits.
Why You'll Love These Biscuits
- Tall and flaky, with soft, buttery layers inside.
- Six simple ingredients, no special equipment needed.
- Ready in 30 minutes from bowl to table.
- Breakfast-sandwich ready: sturdy enough for fried chicken, sausage or egg.
What Are Bojangles Biscuits Made Of?
These are classic Southern buttermilk biscuits: self-rising flour for lift and a soft crumb, a little sugar to balance the tang of the buttermilk, and a solid fat such as shortening or lard for tall, flaky layers. A brush of melted butter after baking gives the soft, glossy top.
For more Southern-style biscuits, compare our Popeyes biscuits, KFC biscuits and Cracker Barrel biscuits.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Keep it cold. Chill the shortening for 30 minutes (or freeze and grate lard) and use buttermilk straight from the fridge. On a warm day, chill the bowl too.
- Measure the flour lightly. Spoon it into the cup and level it off. Packed flour makes dry, heavy biscuits.
- Don't overwork the dough. Stir until there is no dry flour, then stop. A sticky, shaggy dough bakes up tender.
- Fold for layers. Two quick pat-and-fold turns create the flaky layers without making the dough tough.
- Cut straight down. Twisting the cutter seals the edges and stops the biscuits rising evenly. My first batch came out lopsided because I twisted every single one.
- Bake them touching. Biscuits that share sides support each other and rise taller and softer.
Bojangles-Style Buttermilk Biscuits (Copycat)
12
biscuits15
minutes14
minutes230
kcal30
minutesCopycat-style Bojangles buttermilk biscuits: self-rising flour with a little extra baking powder and sugar, cold shortening cut in to pea-size pieces, buttermilk stirred in just until combined, then folded, cut and baked hot at 450°F and brushed with melted butter.
Ingredients
- For the Dough
3 cups self-rising flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening or lard, chilled for 30 minutes
1 1/4 cups cold buttermilk
- To Finish
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Directions
- Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Whisk or sift the self-rising flour, baking powder and powdered sugar together in a large bowl until evenly mixed.
- Add the cold shortening (or grate in frozen lard) and cut it in with a pastry blender, two knives or your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-size pieces left.
- Pour in the cold buttermilk a little at a time, stirring with a fork just until a shaggy, sticky dough forms and there is no dry flour left. Don’t overmix.
- Turn the dough onto a floured counter. Pat it into a rectangle about 1 inch thick, fold it in half and pat it out again. Repeat once more, then pat it to 3/4 inch thick.
- Cut straight down with a floured 2 1/2-inch round cutter (don’t twist). Gently press the scraps together and cut again to get 12 biscuits.
- Place the biscuits on the baking sheet so their sides just touch, which helps them rise tall.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until risen and deep golden brown on top.
- Brush the hot biscuits with the melted butter and serve warm.
Notes
- If you want to make these biscuits a little ahead of when you need them, that is absolutely fine. They will keep for around 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Like this recipe?
Follow us @recipefairy on Pinterest
Serving Suggestions
Serve the biscuits warm with butter and honey or jam, or split them for breakfast sandwiches with sausage, bacon, egg and cheese. They are also a classic side for fried chicken or a bowl of sausage gravy.
- Chicken biscuits: tuck in a crispy fried chicken breast or a couple of chicken tenders.
- Cheddar biscuits: fold 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar into the dough, or try our Red Lobster-style cheddar biscuits.
- Sweet biscuits: fold in a handful of blueberries and brush with honey butter after baking.
Make-Ahead and Freezing
- Freeze unbaked: cut the biscuits, freeze them on a tray until firm, then bag them for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 450°F, adding 3 to 5 minutes.
- Freeze baked: cool completely, wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: wrap in foil and warm at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or 15 to 20 minutes from frozen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Bojangles-style biscuits so fluffy?
Self-rising flour plus a little extra baking powder gives lots of lift, while buttermilk reacts with the leavening and adds tang. Cold shortening left in small pieces melts in the hot oven and creates steam pockets, which makes the biscuits tall and flaky.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of self-rising?
Yes. For each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. For this recipe that is 3 cups all-purpose flour, 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus the extra tablespoon of baking powder in the recipe.
Can I use butter instead of shortening?
Yes. Use the same amount of very cold unsalted butter, cubed or grated from frozen. Butter gives more flavor and a slightly crisper edge, while shortening or lard makes a softer, taller biscuit.
No buttermilk? What can I use?
Stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 1/4 cups of cold milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. It won't be as thick as buttermilk, so add it gradually until the dough just comes together.
Why are my biscuits flat or hard?
Mine went flat the day I left the shortening sitting on the counter. Usually the fat got too warm, the dough was overmixed, or too much flour was packed into the cup. Old baking powder is another common cause, so check the date.
How do I store and reheat biscuits?
Keep cooled biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months. Reheat, wrapped in foil, at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes (15 to 20 minutes from frozen).
){kind=link}
hi – stumbled across your site – and found bojangles! I looked at the recipe and still wonder if perhaps they aren’t using cake flour? their biscuits are such a smooth fluffy thing with the best texture. self rising and baking powder does the job? i don’t live anywhere close to a bojangles anymore, but while i lived in south carolina for several years they were my favorite.
We love Bojangles biscuits with every meal/with butter in them. very good.
Thank you, Kathleen! Bojangles-style biscuits with butter really do go with everything. So glad you enjoyed them.
Question, do you think you could freeze the dough and save for a quicker morning breakfast? I don’t live in NC anymore, but would love a way to serve these fresh in the morning even when I don’t have time to make them start to finish