The Southern Fast Food Chain That Has Fresh, Made-From-Scratch Biscuits Every 20 Minutes

There's little more satisfying than a warm, made-from-scratch biscuit. This goes double when it's conveniently packaged and priced in a fast food format. Amid all the popular chicken chains, Bojangles is a Southern delight that's getting noticed for its fresh and fluffy biscuits, which, yes, are made in-house every 20 minutes. A single restaurant can make up to 2,000 biscuits per day, taking an average of about five minutes for each biscuit prior to baking time.

The chicken-based fast food chain appears to be rapidly expanding to the delight of customers who value scratch-made biscuits. The house-made buttermilk-based quick breads accompany most meals offered by Bojangles, but the fast food chain isn't content to stop there. As proof of freshness, Bojangles kitchens are equipped with a window for customers' viewing pleasure where they can watch these biscuits being prepared and baked on the regular.

Beyond basic freshness, the fast food chain also boasts a bounty of biscuit sandwiches on its menu, and breakfast served all day at most locations. In Tasting Table's ranking of Bojangles biscuit sandwiches, the top spot went to the Bacon, Egg & Cheese, which our taste tester praised for its balanced composition and pleasing flavor. Given the chicken chain's predominant presence in the American South — as well as the ubiquity of biscuits in Southern cuisine — it's easy to see why Bojangles is growing even more beloved with each made from scratch biscuit.

First and foremost, not just anyone is authorized to prepare a Bojangles biscuit from scratch. Rather, the fast food chain prides itself on training and certifying "Master Biscuit Makers" in the 49-step process for these baked buttermilk treats. To take it a step further, Bojangles hosts an annual "Roll-Off Challenge" that pits certified biscuit makers from different franchise and company-owned stores head-to-head to see who comes out on top.

For those who don't live in the South, you can always seek out a copycat recipe online if you aren't planning to visit anytime soon. If you're undeterred by the number of steps, set time aside to follow the process to the letter for an approximation of those served by the fast food chain. Insiders note the importance of working with cold ingredients and caution against over-mixing.

For those working on a smaller scale, you can always try Tasting Table's recipe for fluffy Southern biscuits, which require roughly 15 minutes of preparation time and 15 minutes of cooking time but only 11 steps. Whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, a Bojangles biscuit (or your own homemade version) is sure to satisfy.