2tspkosher salt (scant 4g)Diamond Crystal salt: use half if Mortons
water
¼–½cupcornmeal or semolina flour
Instructions
THE NIGHT BEFORE: Mix flour, yeast and salt together in a large (5-6 quart) mixing bowl. Add water until you are able to stir it all together and no dry pockets remain – it should have a consistency like very thick pancake batter, or a smooth porridge.
Cover with plastic wrap and leave it on the counter overnight. It should rise up to double in size and may deflate again, that’s just fine.
IN THE MORNING: The next morning, it will be full of bubbles and almost but not quite pourable. If you’re going to use muffin rings, butter them. Heat a griddle or a skillet over medium heat. The pan should not be as hot as for pancakes; English muffins should cook much more slowly, because you want the middle to cook before the bottom burns.
If using the rings, place them on the griddle, and sprinkle cornmeal liberally inside them. If not using rings, just scatter cornmeal over the griddle. Scoop-pour about 1/4-cup portions onto the griddle, free form or in rings. Cook for 7-10 minutes, until the tops start to look set.
Flip them and continue cooking till done, 7 to 10 more minutes. You can remove the rings (use tongs!) after the muffins are flipped, they’ll keep their shape at this point. The muffins should have top and bottom crusts that are golden brown, and the interiors should be well cooked.
When done, the center of a muffin should register 195-200˚F on an instant-read thermometer. If you find that the muffins have browned but the centers aren’t cooked all the way through, just put them in a preheated 350˚F oven for about 10 minutes or so. Once you’ve made these muffins a time or two you’ll know your stove temperature and how long they take on your stove.
Allow the muffins to rest on a rack for at least 10 minutes, then dig in! Pry them in half with a fork, toast and serve with butter, honey, or jam.
Notes
A note on equipment: I like to use a 1/4 cup muffin scoop, which makes portioning the batter easy. Muffin rings are fairly easy to come by, or you might use silicone or metal ring molds, or if you’re a recycling/homemade kind of person, well-washed tuna cans work well.