Homemade English Muffins

Make the dough starter:

1. Mix the flour, water, and yeast for the starter in a small mixing bowl. Beat until the batter is smooth, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 2-12 hours at room temperature. The longer it sits, the better the flavor in the English muffins (and better the nooks and crannies).

Making the English Muffins:

1. Whisk together the warm milk, yeast, and starter in the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl. Break up the starter and dissolve it into the milk.
2. Add the sugar, butter, and salt to the bowl and whisk or stir on low in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment to combine well. Add 3 cups of the flour and stir on low speed or with a stiff spatula until you form a shaggy, floury dough.
3. With a dough hook on your stand mixer, knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth ball, 5 to 8 minutes or knead by hand against the counter. If the dough is very sticky, add extra flour as needed, adding a tablespoon at a time until it pulls away from the bowl and doesn't stick to it anymore. Be careful not to add more than 1/4 cup more than the original 3 cups. The dough is ready when it forms into a smooth ball and springs back when poked; it will feel slightly like children's play dough and be slightly tacky, but shouldn't stick to the bowl or your hands.
4. Lightly brush a large bowl with vegetable oil, then place the ball of dough in to rise. Cover with a lint free tea towel or plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight. You can alternatively let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 2 hours, but the flavor and texture won't be as developed.
5. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece gently against the counter, using your palm of your hand to shape into smooth, round balls.
6. Sprinkle cornmeal generously over a baking sheet and arrange the balls on top, spaced a little apart. If you have muffin rings, place them around the balls of dough at this point. Sprinkle the tops generously with more cornmeal.
7. For refrigerated dough, let rise in a warm place for 2 hours; for room temperature dough, let rise for 1 hour. Depending on the size of your muffin rings, the muffins may not totally fill the rings and that's okay.
8. When ready to cook the muffins, prepare an electric griddle or large nonstick skillet over 350 degree heat (about medium heat). Generously sprinkle cornmeal evenly over the griddle/skillet, this ensures the English muffins don't stick.
9. Working in batches, transfer a few of the muffins to the griddle, allowing an inch of space between muffins; don't crowd the pan. If using rings, transfer the muffins with their rings to the pan. Cook until the bottoms of the muffins are golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes.
10. Flip and cook 5 to 6 minutes on the other side until golden brown. If your muffins seem to be browning too quickly on the bottoms (or not quickly enough), adjust the heat as needed. If you find that your muffins are browning too quickly, throw them in the oven on a cornmeal-sprinkled baking sheet at 350°F to finish baking through.
11. Transfer cooked muffins to a wire cooling rack. Continue working in batches until all the muffins have been cooked.
12. Use a fork to pork holes through the middle to split the English muffins in half. Serve with butter and jam or use to make eggs Benedict.
13. Keep in an airtight container on your counter for 3-5 days.
14. Fresh English muffins can also be wrapped in plastic wrap, placed in a freezer-safe zip top bag, and kept frozen for up to 3 months. Toast in toaster to eat.