Biscuits for breakfast isn’t anything out of the ordinary, and with a little butter and jam, you have a truly satisfying morning pick me up. Getting the right ratio of flaky crust to soft, and buttery inside, however, is tricky—but well worth the effort.

 Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 500°F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Blend well.
3. Toss the butter pieces into the flour, and blend well with your fingers—you’ll squeeze and pinch the butter into the flour until it’s well mixed and no piece of butter is larger than the fingernail on your smallest finger. The flour should resemble cornmeal. You want to do this step as quickly as possible so the butter does not begin to melt, but be thorough: Getting the butter right is your best hedge against tough biscuits.
4. Add 2¼ cups of the soured milk to the flour and butter. Working quickly, mix the milk in with a rubber spatula, mixing only until the dough begins to hold together. If the mix seems dry, add the last ¼ cup of milk.
5. Dump the dough onto a floured work surface. Gather it together, and pat briefly to flatten. Fold the dough over on itself three or four times; then pat into a rough rectangle about 1½-inch thick. Use a bench scraper to ensure the dough isn’t sticking to the table.
6. Dip a 2½-inch biscuit cutter in a little flour before pressing it into the dough. Lift the cut biscuit out without twisting the cutter, and place on a well-buttered baking sheet. Biscuits should be almost touching. Brush tops lightly with soured milk. Repeat until you’ve used all of the dough.
7. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the biscuits are golden, well risen, and light. If they feel wet or heavy, bake them longer.