Old-Fashioned Lard Biscuits
These old-fashioned lard biscuits are incredibly easy to make! With only 6 ingredients and a few simple steps the results are perfectly tender and flaky. Pair these with my classic sausage gravy for the best breakfast!
Overview
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Techniques Used: Cutting Fat into Flour, Biscuit Mixing Method
If you’ve never had a biscuit made with lard, you need to. Lard biscuits are truly special! The overall texture is so different than those made with butter. They are softer, more tender, and crazy flaky.
Why make lard biscuits?
- Biscuits made with lard are incredibly tender, soft, and the most flaky kind of biscuit you will ever have.
- Lard biscuits can be enjoyed sweet or savory! Top them with sweet jam, savory eggs, or (my favorite) sausage gravy.
Ingredient Functions and Substitutions
Flour: Flour is the main structure for these biscuits. All-purpose is recommended but you can also make biscuits using self-rising flour.
Baking Powder: Baking powder does most of the leavening in the biscuit. It gives the biscuit the rise and some fluffiness.
Baking Soda: You might be wondering why baking soda is needed if this recipe already contains baking powder. While baking powder does the heavy lifting, the baking soda balances out the acidic ingredients.
Salt: Salt is what gives these biscuits flavor. It’s not so much that it makes these biscuits too savory. In fact, these biscuits are perfect topped with a sweet jam or salty eggs.
Buttermilk: The buttermilk in this recipe is what gives moisture and holds everything together. Because buttermilk is cultured, it has an acidic quality to it. I personally love the tang that buttermilk brings to biscuits. If you do not have any on hand, you can easily make a substitute!
Put 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup and add enough milk to the measuring cup until it measures 1 cup. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes before adding it to your dough.
You can also use a non-dairy milk substitute but it may affect the flavor of the biscuits.
Leaf Lard: The lard in this recipe is the star! Leaf lard comes from the fatty parts around a pig’s kidneys. It is obtained through a process called rendering. It’s creamier and more popular in baking than other types of lard. The lard coats the flour creating a fluffy, tender, and very flaky biscuit.
If you are looking for a vegetarian-friendly biscuit recipe, you can easily substitute the lard in this recipe for unsalted butter or vegetable shortening.
Variation Ideas
All Butter Biscuits: if you really love the flavor of butter or can’t find lard, you can easily swap the lard in this recipe for unsalted butter. Dice up the butter into small cubes and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Butter and Lard Biscuits: if you prefer the taste of butter but want the flakiness and tenderness of a lard biscuit, swap half of the lard in this recipe with butter.
How to make Old-Fashioned Lard Biscuits
STEP 1: Combine dry ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
STEP 2: Cut in the lard
Add the cold lard to the mixing bowl and cut it into the flour mixture. I like to use a pastry cutter to cut the fat through. You could also use a fork or even your hands but you want to make sure the fat stays very cold and your hands can start warming the temperature. As soon as the mixture resembles coarse meal you are ready to add the liquid.
STEP 3: Mix in the buttermilk
Pour all of the buttermilk into the bowl at once and gently stir together. I like to use a wooden spoon for this but you could use a rubber spatula if you like. Stir just until the mixture is all one mass but not until smooth. You want it to be lumpy and you don’t want to stir very much. It usually only takes me about 5-6 stirs to get here. The mixture is going to look very wet.
STEP 4: Shape the dough
Flour a clean work surface and your hands. Gently gather all of the dough and place it on the floured surface. Now, using your hands, pat the dough out to about a 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick disc. You may need to dust a bit of flour on top of the dough. Fold the dough in half and then turn it 90 degrees. Pat out and fold again for a total of 6 times. This process is creating layers that will create flaky biscuits.
Step 5: Cut out the biscuits
Press the dough out to about 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick and use a round cutter to cut out your biscuits. When cutting out, dip your cutter in flour, press straight down, and pull it back up without twisting it. Gently pat the scraps together to cut out the rest of your biscuits.
Step 6: Bake
I like to place my biscuits in a cake pan very close together to bake. I believe this helps the biscuits climb on each other and in the pan to rise more. You can also bake them on a parchment-lined sheet pan with their sides touching.
Once baked, you can brush with melted butter or top with sausage gravy!
FAQ
What is lard?
The word lard is actually a general term that refers to fat from a pig. In cooking or baking, this is usually the rendered fat from a pig. The premium fat that is used for rendering lard is called leaf lard. Leaf lard comes from the fat that surrounds the kidneys and inside the loin of the pig.
The result of properly rendered lard is a white, creamy shortening (a fat that is solid at room temperature and liquid at warmer temperatures).
Where can I get lard?
You can buy lard from a butcher or farmer. You may find it in a specialty store, however I’ve never seen it at my regular grocery store. If you ask a butcher, make sure you ask for rendered lard otherwise, you might receive a whole piece of fat tissue.
You can render your own lard by breaking down the fat, heating it, and straining it. Doing it yourself is incredibly simple to do and will give you a very pure fat without hydrogenated oils (which is often found in processed lard).
Prep & Storage
How to prep ahead: Make the biscuit dough the day (or 2-3 days) before serving. Prepare as directed, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or in a buttered cake pan) and wrap with plastic wrap. When ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap and bake directly from the refrigerator.
How to store in the refrigerator (or at room temperature): Biscuits are best eaten fresh, but they can also be stored after completely cooled at room temperature and wrapped in foil for 2 days.
How to store in the freezer: Freeze the biscuits raw and bake straight from frozen at 425°F/220°C for 18-21 minutes, until baked through.
MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!
If you loved this recipe, you might like to try these other biscuit recipes!
Old-Fashioned Lard Biscuits
These old-fashioned lard biscuits are incredibly easy to make! With only 6 ingredients and a few simple steps the results are perfectly tender and flaky. Serve with my Classic Sausage Gravy for a comforting meal.
Ingredients
- 240 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
- 10 grams (1 tablespoon) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 grams (1 ¼ teaspoon) kosher salt
- 72 grams (6 tablespoons) leaf lard, cold
- 240 grams (1 cup, 240 milliliters) buttermilk, cold
Instructions
Prep:
- Position an oven rack to the center position and preheat to 450°F/230°C.
- Spray a cake pan with non-stick spray or line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Measure out all ingredients. Keep the lard and buttermilk in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To Make the Biscuits:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour (240 grams, 2 cups), baking powder (1 tablespoon), baking soda (¼ teaspoon), and salt (6 grams, 1 ¼ teaspoon).
- Add the cold lard (85 grams, 6 tablespoons) to the mixing bowl and cut it into the flour mixture. To do this, press down on the fat with the wires of the pastry blender or the tines of a fork as you move it around the bowl. Continue cutting the fat into the flour until most of the pieces of fat are about the size of peas with some pieces being about the size of a walnut half.
- Add the cold buttermilk (240 grams, 1 cup) into the bowl and stir with a spoon or a silicone spatula just until combined. This should only take a few turns. The dough will be pretty wet and sticky.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Dust flour over the top of the dough. With floured hands bring the dough together into one mass.
- Pat the dough out (do not roll with a rolling pin) until it is about 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick. Using a bench knife (or a metal spatula can be helpful if you do not have a bench knife), fold the dough in half and then turn it 90 degrees. Pat out and fold again for a total of 6 times. This process is creating layers that will create flaky biscuits.
- Press the dough out to about 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick and use a round cutter that is about 2.5-inches (6 cm) in diameter to cut out your biscuits. When cutting out, dip your cutter in flour, press straight down, and pull it back up without twisting it. Twisting can seal the edge of your biscuit, not allowing it to rise fully. Gently pat the scraps together to cut out the rest of your biscuits. Alternatively, you can pat the dough into a rectangle and use a sharp knife to divide the dough into 8 rectangular-shaped biscuits.
- Place the biscuits in the prepared cake pan or baking sheet with the edges touching so they will rise up against each other.
- As an optional step, place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking. This will ensure that your biscuits will not spread too much and will allow your oven to fully pre-heat.
- Bake at 450°F/230°C for 13-15 minutes until golden brown. Do not open the oven door for at least the first half of baking time. You want the steam to stay trapped in the oven to help with the rise.
- Brush biscuits with melted butter or top with sausage gravy.
Notes
If you do not have buttermilk on hand you can make "soured milk" by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup and adding enough regular milk to make 1 cup. Combine and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
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Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 0
196 Comments on “Old-Fashioned Lard Biscuits”
WOW! These biscuits look so flaky! I’m totally waiting for your sausage gravy recipe. I wish I could have some RIGHT NOW! Sharing for sure.
It will be up tomorrow! You’ll have to let me know if you make them!
Welcome to Yum Goggle! I LOVE these biscuits – just like my Nana used to make! We are now following you on all social media and hope you will do the same. We will tag you as we promote your posts on up to 14 social media platforms including a nightly full color Top Ten Newsletter as well as our wonderful Recipe Roundups – I’m putting yours in a Big Family Breakfast one coming up in several weeks! Kelli at YG.
Thanks for stopping by Kelli!
How much lard?
6 Tablespoons. That’s what TBSP means.
Just made these and this is an outstanding recipe and method! Thanks for creating this!
Hi Pam!
I am so glad you loved them! That makes me so happy. Thanks for the review!
These are as good as any biscuit that I have ever eaten! Great taste, great flake. This recipe is ‘spot on’. The only thing I did, in addition to the recipe, was to place a small amount of water in the oven in the beginning to help with moisture. Well done!
I use self rising to trim a step..but animal lard and butter milk for sure…always good eating…just cooked a country ham, making 100 mini ham biscuits in the morning, once my deboned ham tied firms up for slicing…and saved my pot liquor for Christmas collard.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this recipe! They melt in your mouth. I used homemade lard that I purchased from a Mexican meat market and used 1/2 whole wheat pastry/unbleached flour. Me, my two college boys and hubby devoured them. Thank you so much for sharing this. This is definitely a must keep and pass it down to generation recipe.
I read your recipe carefully and my biscuits turned out great. Now that I have a great baseline biscuit, I plan to experiment by substituting two TBSP of lard with unsalted butter and to add about 1 TBSP of sugar. By the way, I found a cute mistake that you’ll probably find funny. You wrote, “Use a biscuit “butter” or cup…” 😉 I didn’t even notice the first couple of times I read through your instructions.
I had high hopes for these but went wrong somewhere…new baking powder but they hardly rose and it’s the predominant flavor. I followed the recipe to the letter, checking and double checking, because of my past failures. I know it’s my fault and not the recipe’s, but I don’t know where I’m going wrong.
In an attempt not to overwork the dough, maybe I didn’t work it enough? Patted very gently but they have the knobbly texture of butter dips or drop biscuits. The inside is more like a roll than a biscuit – no discernible layers – I used a pastry cutter and a metal scraper to turn it, patted as gently as I could. I’d say they’re on the tough side, so does that mean I overworked it? I don’t know how to work it less! My pieces of lard were a bit bigger than yours appear and it seemed a bit wetter. I know my oven temp is correct and I used a springform pan. Perhaps they were too tight in the pan?
Any tips or ideas? I’d really like to try this recipe again and get it right, despite the outcome I think it’s my biggest success. I can make cookies, cakes, breads without any problem but biscuits seem impossible.
I would say that it sounds like you had too much flour in your dough, but then you said the dough seemed more wet than mine so I’m a bit stumped. Just to double check, did you change anything at all about the recipe?
Also, are you baking immediately?
Incredible biscuit method. I have been on a crusade for the perfect biscuit for the past 3 months. This one was dead on. Perfectly layered flaky biscuits. Thank you so much.
Just made these and they came out great! Can this recipe be doubled?
Absolutely! So glad you enjoyed them!
Can you use a food processor to mix the dough?
Made these yesterday, and baked them off this morning. Amazing! I don’t even love biscuits, but these are the best we’ve ever had. I made them kindof small and they were tender, just the right amount of doughy, and layered. Would’ve believed someone if they told me they have yeast. So glad to have found your blog!
I realize this is an old post, but THANK YOU!! I made these last night with some great local pastured lard, and your sausage gravy as well. They were so delicious and melt-in-your-mouth flaky, and were equally tasty the next morning with butter, jam, and a side of coffee.
I’ve never actually made biscuits that were really good before – and what do you know, I was following recipes that have you overwork and roll out the dough. I think I’ll be making biscuits more than once a year now since I know they can turn out so well.
I’ve been trying to make biscuits with butter for 30 years, always a fail. I discovered a source for lard and thought I’d give these a try. They turned out better than I thought possible. I followed the directions to a t except I had to cook for about 15-16 minutes. I have to say that they turned out perfect. Great texture, taste, and look. Wife and son also loved them.
Thanks for the recipe.
These biscuits are the best biscuits on the planet!! I followed your recipe EXACTLY and they turned out AMAZING!! I did have to bake them a couple of minutes longer because I don’t think my oven cooks at the temperature it reads but they are great!! Thank you for a perfect biscuit recipe!!
I love this recipe. I think it needs more salt, but salt is kind of a personal preference.
Please read first! Thanks for the recipe but I need you to clarify the salt measurement. On the Pinterest cover page you have 2-3/4 tsp salt and on the make it page it looks like 11/4 tsp.
I know that 11/4 is not an actual measurement so I decided that it must be 1-1/4 tsp.
That would have been the right measurement, however I referenced the cover page for the salt and 2-3/4 tsp was way to salty in the final product. I will make the adjustments going forward but since this was my first attempt at homemade biscuits… I got a few snickers from my girls and not any seconds for biscuits.
These biscuits remind me of my great aunt’s. I had fond memories of her making these biscuits and of course eating them. I never had the privilege to write down her recipe because I was young then. For many years I have been experimenting with biscuit recipes and to my disappointment, it never matched up to my aunt’s, until now. Thank you for this delicious and easy to follow recipe. I wouldn’t change a thing.
These are hands down THE BEST biscuits I have ever made or eaten. I doubled the recipe and followed it exactly as written and they are perfection. Better than my granny used to make. Thank you oh SO much for this recipe.
I followed your directions exactly and the biscuits were perfect! Love this recipe. Reminds me of my grandmother’s biscuits. Thank you for sharing.
Wow. I made head last night and they were absolutely amazing. I’ve never tasted a better biscuit. I couldn’t believe how high they rose- well over twice their original height! The only change I made was that I used whey (leftover from yogurt making) and a small amount of yogurt in place of the buttermilk. So good!
i made these biscuits and i felt so sexy.
looking to use my wonderful leaf lard, I made these last night and were amazing!! only thing I would say is watch the salt… used Himalayan Pink and resulted a tad too salty.
Thanks for sharing
Hi there! I just found your site. My Auntie could make biscuits that were sublime! She has passed and I’m trying to learn to make perfect biscuits. My recurring problem is dryness. I found the 1 Tbsp of baking powder is spot on, but the dryness is overwhelming. I get a crust almost on the outside of the biscuits, and they are very dry. I have noticed I do not let my dough get sticky. Maybe I’m not using enough milk?
Hi Mark! Thanks so much for question. I am guessing that it may have something to do with too much flour in your biscuits. Can I ask how you measure it? You want to take a spoon, fluff it up, and then lightly scoop it into your measuring cup before leveling it off. Be sure not to pack it down into the cup. OR if you have a kitchen scale you could weight the flour which would be even more accurate. I need to edit this recipe to include weights, but for 2 cups of flour it should weigh 8.5 oz.
If you do have the right amount of flour in your recipe and it is still coming out dry, then you can add a bit more buttermilk. Start with a tabelspoon at a time. This dough should be pretty sticky.
Let me know if you get better results!
I made these biscuits last night, and they were great. I used a food processor instead of mixing by hand, and it all turned out brilliantly.
Flavour and texture are spot on and without a doubt the best biscuits I’ve ever made.
Wow Bill! What a wonderful review. Thank you so much and I’m so happy you loved them! Great tip about using a food processor!
Greetings from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada!!!!!!!!
I’ve got to tell you I tried your recipe today for your biscuits, and I LOVED them. I made some up to have with some chili for dinner…..split them in half and spread with some butter and YUM!!!!!! I USED to just make biscuits from a mix, but never again. These were so easy and so good!!!! I got almost a dozen, so clearly I patted my dough too thin; will have to leave it a bit thicker next time…..but I can see the layers, and they are so tender and tasty. There are so many things these would be great with. Thank you so very much for sharing this recipe!!!!!!
You’re welcome, Toni! They are so delicious, aren’t they? I’m glad you love them too!
My mom was from Tennessee, she made the best biscuits. I tried to copy hers, unsuccessfully, I might add. Your recipe is spot on. She always used lard and buttermilk also. Thank you so much for this. I have kept one thing from my mom, she always pressed out her dough onto newspaper.
What great memories Ronald! Thank you for sharing that! So glad you loved this recipe!
Can you use non dairy milk? Some things just don’t cook with non dairy milk.
Hi Chriss!
Yes, dairy free milk will work out fine in this recipe. However you need to make a buttermilk substitute with it. Measure out 1 TBSP lemon juice or white vinegar and add enough non-dairy milk to make 1 cup. The acidity is needed to activate the baking soda.
Thank you bakerbettie. I have been searching for my Aunt Ruby’s biscuit recipe since she passed 25 years ago. Finally found it here. These are the best ever and so easy just like hers. I was looking under buttermilk biscuits and baking powder biscuits. Should have been looking under lard biscuits all these years.
Wonderful! I’m so glad to hear this, Jeanette!
I also just wanted to mention if anyone is having trouble cutting in the lard, or wants to try something different……I used my Magic Bullet with the larger blades. Not for very long, maybe a few seconds at best; just to get the lard cut in easily. I have to do it in two or three portions, because the Bullet cups I have are maybe ten ounce size, but this is faster than cutting by hand and the biscuits are amazing!!!!
Thanks for sharing your tip, Toni!
I love flat biscuits. I’m actually looking for a recipe like that.
Hi Theresa,
These will turn out pretty fluffy, not flat. If you want them to be flatter, you can roll them out thinner so they aren’t as puffy. Hope that helps!
First time I’ve ever made scratch biscuits and they were wonderful! Simple and understandable instructions. Already made them twice with my home made lard. Yum!
Fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing, Hope!
I used this recipe as my first attempt at making from scratch biscuits and it was a success! We will never have canned biscuits again. So easy and flavorful. Thank you thank for this amazing recipe. This is probably the 4th or 5th recipe that I’ve tried from your website and I have loved all of them.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these Laurel! That’s great to hear!
Hello! I found this recipe about a year ago and LOVE these biscuits (as do the friends I bake them for)! However, I recently moved from Texas to Denver, CO and have been terrified to attempt them due to the elevation change. Do you have any tips on how to alter the recipe for being 5,280 feet above sea level? 🙂 I greatly appreciate any advice!
Hi Jess! I do not have any experience with high altitude baking, but I just referenced my baker’s appendix and this is what is suggests for your elevation. Increase the flour by 2 TBSP per cup, decrease each tsp of baking powder and baking by 1/4 tsp, increase liquid by 2 TBSP per cup. So this would be your recipe: 2 1/4 cups flour, omit the baking soda, 2 3/4 tsp of baking powder, 1 1/4 tsp salt, 6 TBSP lard, 1 cup + 2 TBSP buttermilk.
Leavening is much more active at higher elevation and liquid evaporates much more quickly. I hope this helps! Let me know if you do try this and how they turn out!
Great biscuits! I have tried to make other biscuits and none were as close to being as great!
So glad you love them! Thanks so much for your feedback!
Very good thanks
So glad you enjoyed Donald!
I don’t review a recipe until I make it several times. Every single time, they turn out fantastic…and this is coming from someone who always used to mess up biscuits. These are so good, I wrote the recipe down just in case it gets taken down online.
Has anyone experimented with freezing the cut biscuit dough to use later?
I’m a southern gal, and this made the best biscuits I’ve ever ever had! Keeper for sure.
Wow! What a compliment! Thank you Susie! <3
I’ve tried at least 25 biscuit recipes this is by far our favorite. It made big fluffy biscuits that retained their texture when reheated in the microwave. Yummy!
Wow LaVerne! What a compliment! I’m so glad you enjoy them. They are my favorite too!
I’ve been trying to learn to make decent biscuits for over a year now—tried these tonight and my wife said they were the best she has ever had anywhere! (I baked them in my iron skillet.) She said I can quit experimenting now and please just stick with these.
ABSOLUTELY the best Biscuits I’ve ever made. So easy and delicious. Thank you for this recipe.
You’re welcome Cathy! So glad you enjoy it!
Well done….. Finally the tips and steps to make lovely biscuits. Made this tonight with steak for dinner. fantastic dough, rise, texture and crumb…. used self rising lilly) added a 1/4 tsp of bp some sugar and vanilla. no glazing of milk or butter these came to the table with 4 of the bakers dozen missing,,,,(Not me LOL) Thanks…( oh used smaller cutter as I wanted more quick Sunday breakfast heading to the beach made 13 not 6.
Hi John! So glad to hear you enjoyed these biscuits! They are my favorite!
Nailed it!!!!Finally, after 63 years no more frozen biscuits for this gal
That makes me so happy Deidre! That is amazing!
Don’t have aluminum free baking powder. What will happen to the recipe if I use what I have?
Don’t have aluminum free baking powder. What can I do without having to go try to find it in a store where I live since I’ve got my oven turned on to make this?
Hi Sharon! If you use baking powder that is not aluminum free, your biscuits will likely have a slight metallic taste to them due to the amount of baking powder in this recipe. Though I haven’t tested it yet, you could swap the tablespoon of baking powder for just a teaspoon of baking soda for this recipe. Since the recipe calls for buttermilk (which is acidic) it will activate the baking soda. Let me know if you do try it!
OMGOSH!! Best Ever Biscuits said my Hubby!
The article says preheat to 375 but the direction say 450. Which is it?
Hi Dave, thanks for bringing this to my attention. I recently retested this recipe for the video tutorial and decided that I got a much better rise by putting the biscuits in the oven at a higher temperature to start. I used to preheat to a lower temperature and then raise it up. I thought I had edited it all properly, but it is now fixed. Hope you enjoy them!
Made these this morning and the texture was great. Only suggestion I would add is to include a teaspoon of sugar to cut the saltiness if you’re going to be serving them with anything already salty (ex: gravy)
Hi Olivia! Thank you for the review! Glad you enjoyed them!
I was sceptical at first to try anything made with lard but am so glad i finally did. These biscuits are light and very tasty. Very quick and easy to make. Thanks for the recipe. Will definately make again and again.
Can you substitute butter for the lard? If so, please provide the requirements. Thanks!
Hi Natalie! Yes, you can substitute butter for the lard 1:1 in this recipe. I actually have a butter version of it here: https://bakerbettie.com/butter-biscuits/