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Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
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To make the preferment: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, milk, and water until smooth. The mixture will have the consistency of thick pancake batter.
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Cover the preferment and let rest at room temperature for 1 to 4 hours. After 1 hour the mixture will have grown a bit in volume and small bubbles will have appeared on top. After 4 hours, the preferment will have doubled in volume, have many small bubbles on the surface, and have a slightly sour aroma. The longer the mixture ferments, the more flavor the English muffins will have.
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To make the dough: Add the flour, salt, sugar, and butter to the preferment, mixing by hand or with the handle-end of a wooden spoon to form a soft, sticky dough. Using a wet hand and a light touch, quickly work the dough against the side of the bowl until it begins to smooth out and is tacky.
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Once you’ve mixed your dough, perform a bowl fold: Uncover the bowl and reach a bowl scraper or your wet hand down between the side of the bowl and the dough, as though you were going to lift the dough out. Instead of lifting, stretch the bottom of the dough up and over its top. Repeat this motion, working your way around the bowl, about 6 to 8 times or until the dough resists stretching.
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Flip the dough over so that the smooth side is up, then round out the dough by cupping your hand and applying pressure towards the bottom of the dough, forcing it into the bottom and side of the bowl to create tension. Cover and let rest at warm room temperature for 1 hour.
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Perform another bowl fold, then flip the dough over and round it out by creating tension as before. Cover and let rest at warm room temperature for 1 hour, or until very puffy and marshmallowy.
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Use a bowl scraper to gently ease the dough out of the bowl onto a work surface dusted with cornmeal. Gently deflate the dough then sprinkle the top lightly with cornmeal. Pat the dough into a circle that is 1/2" thick.
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Using a 3 1/2" round cutter, cut 4 rounds out of the dough, keeping the spacing as close as possible to cut down on the amount of scrap dough leftover. Gently bring the scrap dough together, pinching it to adhere. Flatten the dough to 1/2" thickness again, if needed, then continue cutting rounds; you should be able to cut 2 more.
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Lightly dust a piece of parchment with cornmeal, then transfer the rounds of dough to the parchment. Cover and let rest until puffy, 20 to 30 minutes.
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Preheat a 10" to 12" cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until a few water drops flicked on the surface sizzle then take a moment to evaporate. Alternatively, preheat an electric griddle to 350°F.
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Carefully transfer the muffins to the preheated pan or griddle and cook until the bottoms are lightly browned and the sides look matte, 10 to 15 minutes. The muffins will puff up to about 1" thick. Flip the muffins over and continue cooking on the second side until browned, an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
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Place the muffins on a wire rack to cool slightly before serving. For the ultimate “nook and cranny” experience, fork-split the muffins before toasting and slathering with butter.
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Storage information: Store leftover English muffins at room temperature in an airtight container up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
