Directions

• Dough:
• Bring the milk to a bare simmer in a small/medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and let cool to 105°F, about 30 minutes.
• Whisk the whole wheat flour and yeast in a medium bowl. Whisk in the cooled milk until all lumps are gone. Set aside until the mixture becomes frothy, about 30 minutes.
• Stir the butter, honey, and salt into the milk mixture. Add the bread flour and stir vigorously until you have a thick, sticky mixture, 1 to 2 minutes. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at least 8 and up to 16 hours.
• English Muffins:
• Flour a work surface and then dust it with cornmeal. Using floured hands, gently deflate the dough in the bowl, transfer it to the work surface, and shape it into a rough rectangle.
• Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10×8-inch rectangle that’s about 3/8-inch thick; use a bench scraper to lift the dough and dust the surface with more flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking.
• Dust the top of the dough with 1 to 2 teaspoons of cornmeal. Using a floured 3 & 1/2-inch round cutter, punch out 5 to 6 muffins. Dip the cutter in flour before each cut to prevent sticking.
• Gather and gently re-roll the dough scraps 3/8 inch thick; punch out 1 to 2 more muffins in the same way. Re-roll again, and punch out 1 or 2 more. Cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven, and put a large rimmed baking sheet on it. Heat the oven to 400 F. Heat a griddle, or large cast-iron skillet, over medium-low heat until hot, about 5 minutes.
• Working in batches and using floured fingers, arrange the dough rounds on the griddle, or in the skillet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each.
• Cook, flipping once with a spatula, until the tops and bottoms of the muffins are browned and firm but the edges remain soft, about 4 minutes per side.
• Transfer the muffins to the baking sheet in the oven for 5 minutes to finish cooking. Meanwhile, wipe out any flour in the skillet and brown the next batch of muffins; repeat browning and baking the muffins until all are cooked.
• Allow each batch to cool on a rack for 1 to 2 minutes. Using a fork, perforate the muffins along the equators all the way around, and break open the rest of the way by hand. Toast, if you like, and serve warm.