I had the opportunity to travel to the Bojangles test kitchen and learn how to make Bojangles Biscuits. Continue reading to learn all about my experience in making these perfect fluffy buttery Bojangles Biscuits.
If you've come here looking for all the secrets and the exact recipe for how to make Bojangles biscuits, well let me let you know now that I ain't got it. There is no way in the world Bojangles is going to give me or anyone else all their secret ingredients for those beautiful biscuits. I don't blame them either. However, I was able to learn a few things about the magic of how they make these biscuits. Keep reading if you want to learn more. Here's my recipe for fluffy buttermilk biscuits from scratch.
Not all biscuits are created equally. Bojangles, a fast food chain that boast about its famous chicken and biscuits, has some pretty good biscuits. So imagine how excited I was when I was invited to the test kitchen with my Charlotte Food Blogger friends to make biscuits. Seriously, imagine it...I was too excited. I think hubby and daughter kind of got tired of hearing about it.
I've only made biscuits a few times before learning how to make Bojangles biscuits. Feel free to check out my blueberry biscuit or Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits recipe.
Rumor is, there are at least 48 steps on how to make Bojangles biscuits. No, that's not a mistype...48. But I'll break it down in easier steps. As a matter of fact, I may be missing a few steps but I'll high lite the most important.
First, place your dry ingredients, including shortening, in a huge bowl. Make a well in the middle of the bowl and add your cold milk, then stir with your hands until it resembles cottage cheese. Allow it to set for a while, maybe about 5 minutes.
Next, flour your surface. We made two circles, one small one to flatten our dough on and then another huge one to roll out our dough.
Once you've done that, remove your dough from the bowl and place it on the small circle of flour. Press your dough down with your hands. You will flatten it a bit, fold it over each side into the center, and roll it from the top to make a cylinder.
Once you've done that, roll the dough out with the pin. We used two pins, one to spread the dough out and one with nice metal circles on the end to ensure our dough was rolled out evenly.
Then we use our biscuit cutter to cut all of these biscuits. I was supposed to get 15 biscuits out of my dough and somehow I only got 14. Oooops.
Place biscuits on the tray, going from outside in to ensure all biscuits fit.
Bake biscuits in a preheated oven on 400 degrees for about 9 minutes and then you have beautiful biscuits.
Now of course I could have eaten these biscuits just like they were but since I was at the test kitchen, I had to have some fun and create masterpieces with my biscuits. My sandwich was good but that dessert biscuit I made was something else. Ever had a bo berry biscuit?? It's a Bojangles biscuit with blueberries and icing. Now they are good by themselves but when you add some whip cream and sprinkles, it takes it to a whole other level.
Notes on how to make Bojangles Biscuits (or any biscuit)
- Use all cold ingredients. That dough was freezing cold when I first put my hands in it but it allowed my biscuits to get nice and fluffy. The ingredients, including the dry ingredients, were all refrigerated before we started making biscuits.
- Make sure that all your shortening is broken into small pieces. If any large pieces of shortening end up on the top of your biscuit, the biscuit will crack and it won't be pretty.
- When rolling out dough, make sure your hands and utensils (rolling pins, counter top, etc.) are well floured so it doesn't stick. Have an extra bowl or sifter with flour handy to re flour.
- Do not add flour directly to the dough. This is a no no. I honestly forget why, but hey, if the biscuit master says so, I follow instructions.
- When cutting out biscuits, re-flour biscuit cuter after about 3 cuts to avoid flour stick.
- Once you have cut your biscuit circles, remove outer scrap pieces first. It'll make your biscuits easier to pick up.
- When placing biscuits in baking tray, go from outer in. It'll make your biscuits fit on the tray easier.
- Do not grease your pan with butter....or it will burn. Griddle oil or shortening works best.
- Brush the top of your biscuits with room temperature butter that is melted. Yummy Yummy in my tummy.
My experience was wonderful. I hope you learned a thing or two from my experience at the Bojangles kitchen. Also, make sure the next time you go into Bojangles and purchase a Bo berry biscuit, take it home and add whip cream to it. Best thing ever!
Fred Johnson says
Are you certain that the rolling pin you recommended in your article has the correct spacer disk? The largest spacer in the product you recommended is a 3/8-inch spacer. The Bojangles spacer looks more like a 1/2-inch spacer, perhaps more.
Tanya says
Hi Fred, thanks for pointing that out. It doesn't. I actually bought that rolling pin and I would ignore the spacing options. It worked well for flatter pastries. I haven't been able to find one with the exact measurements for the bojangles biscuits. Either way, I've removed that suggestion from this article. Thanks again.
Mo says
I am sooooo jealous! I wish we had Bojangles in Northern VA😢. I miss their Boberry Biscuits and Chicken Biscuits.
Milagros Alberich says
I’ve been trying to learn how to make biscuits because I really love them and sodas my 12-year-old son I need time but I have to go to McDonald’s and pick up biscuits just so we can have some I would really love to learn how to make them can you please send me the basic recipe that you use thank you may God bless you and Safe
Tanya says
Hi Milagros, I'm still tweaking my recipe but an easy yet delicious biscuit recipe can be found on the King Arthur website. https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/easy-self-rising-biscuits-recipe
DJ says
Where can I get one of those prep surfaces (love that it has sides) and rolling pin and holder? I want that set-up! If you could find out and let me know, that would be awesome!!! Thanks
Tanya says
I honestly don’t know but if I find out I’ll be happy to share.
Alfred Herma Schrader says
@DJ, The less you work the dough the better.
Paula says
Thanks for the tip on COLD COLD! I to love it when I can get into a commercial kitchen! 😉
Ally says
Love your blog! And thanks for the tips!
Tanya says
Thank you Ally 🙂
Betsy says
Did I miss something???? There's no ingredients list....
Tanya says
Hi Betsy, no recipe here, this post is about my experience at the Bojangles test kitchen. Bojangles won't release the official ingredients to their recipe but did give some tips on how to make the perfect biscuit 🙂
N aak says
I know all the ingredients!! Every step, what dries are, the moon effect etc, but i better keep it to myself I'm a Biscuit Master! 63 Biscuits 2.3 mins start to finish
Tina says
@Betsy, I make a copycat Bojangles recipe that uses 3 cups of sifted White Lily Self Rising Flour, 3 tsp of baking powder, 2 tsp of powdered sugar, 1/2 cup shortening, 1 1/4 cups buttermilk. Use all cold ingredients, mix dry ingredients then add shortening until mixture has crumbly pea sized pieces, next add buttermilk just until combined, roll out dough onto floured surface, then cut with a drinking glass to make 9 biscuits bake in 450° preheated oven for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Brush with melted butter. These are good. They are not exactly like Bojangles but it’s a start. Maybe you could find a way to perfect them by tweaking this recipe a little bit to get them closer to Bojangles biscuits.