Old fashioned lard biscuits are tender and delicious. Use them to make a breakfast sandwich or top them with butter, jam, or honey for an extra special treat.
If you have a good source of lard, this biscuit recipe should be in your repertouire. The inside is soft, while the outside has a bit of a crust. The combination is every bit as good as it sounds.
Make a little sausage gravy, and you can really be in heaven. Or do what we did and turn them into a breakfast sandwich with bacon, eggs, cheese, and spinach.
About the Recipe
This recipe comes from my brother-in-law, Anthony. He mentioned that he likes to save the grease after frying up a pound of bacon to use for biscuits.
He just pops it in the refrigerator until it’s cold, and it is usually the perfect amount to make a batch of his favorite biscuits. Naturally, I was intrigued.
His said the bacon grease is his own twist on an old family recipe that was originally written using butter. The biscuits themselves are a bit denser than what you would get at a fried chicken joint, but they are his family’s favorite.
His mom frequently serves them as a dinner roll with meals. He, however, tends to turn them into breakfast sandwiches with eggs, ham, cheddar and spinach.
I couldn’t wait to give these a go with our lard, and I am so glad I did. They are a bit denser than most restaurant biscuits, but that made them plenty sturdy to hold all of the goodies inside, and they taste delicious!
Alterations and Substitutions
This recipe uses a mix of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. I used white whole wheat for that portion of the flour.
You can use just all-purpose flour if you prefer. The biscuits will be lighter in color and probably even fluffier.
Leaf lard is perfect for baking, but any white lard will do. You can also use bacon grease, butter, or shortening if that is what you have.
This recipe uses buttermilk powder, which is convenient to have on hand for baking as it lasts longer than using real buttermilk. You can use regular milk powder if you prefer or use real buttermilk in place of the water and omit the powder altogether.
In a pinch, you could also use soured milk in place of the water. Just add a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I get lard?
Some grocery stores carry lard, but you are more likely to find it at a butcher shop or from a farmer. Leaf lard is the best for baking, but any rendered lard will work for this recipe.
How do I store biscuits?
Biscuits are best when they are freshly baked, but you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. Warm them up slightly before eating to give them the best texture.
Can I freeze biscuit dough?
Yes. You can cut the biscuits out and put them on a baking tray. Freeze them for a couple of hours before moving them to an airtight container and returning them to the freezer. You can bake the dough from frozen in a 325F oven for 18-22 minutes.
Pro tip: They make silicone molds that you can pour melted lard into and turn it into sticks. That makes it as easy to use as a stick of butter!
More Great Recipes Using Lard
If you have a good lard supplier, you will want to have a collection of recipes to use it on. Here are a few of our favorites.
Lard pie crust is the recipe that started it all. This is my great-grandma’s recipe, and it is so tender and delicious.
Chocolate chip cookies with lard is another great option. They have great texture and taste delicious. Feel free to try using some bacon grease here, too, if you like your sweet treats to have some savory notes.
Lard is the perfect fat for making things like fried potatoes as well. Or you can use it to fry your eggs or any number of things. The possibilities really are endless!
Lard Biscuits
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour or additional 1 cup all purpose
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons dry buttermilk powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup lard cold
- Cold water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients.3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup white whole wheat flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 6 Tablespoons dry buttermilk powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Cut in the lard until it resembles a coarse meal. (A pastry cutter works well for this, but you can use two knifes if you prefer.)½ cup lard
- Start by adding ½ cup cold water, stirring until just combined. Continue to add water a couple of Tablespoons at a time until the mixture comes together to form a rough dough. (The exact amount of water you use will depend on many factors including the flour you decided to use.)
- Tip dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat out to ½-inch thickness. Fold the dough in half, then pat back out to ½ to ¾-inch thickness. This will give the biscuits a natural breaking point in the middle and will increase flakiness.
- Cut the dough into biscuits using a knife or a biscuit cutter. Do not twist the biscuit cutter when cutting the dough, use a straight up and down motion. Pat any remaining dough back out and cut into more biscuits, or reserve to make dumplings later.
- Transfer the biscuits to a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.
- Enjoy warm.