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. Cover and let rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour or up 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.

Make the dough: Add the flour, salt, sugar, and melted butter to the preferment, mixing by hand or with the handle of a wooden spoon to form a soft, sticky dough.

Bulk ferment the dough: Once you've mixed the dough, with a wet hand perform 6 to 8 bowl folds (see Bowl Fold) or until the dough resists stretching. Round out the dough by cupping your hand and applying pressure toward 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.

With a wet hand, perform 6 to 8 more bowl folds until the dough resists stretching, then flip the dough over and round it out as before. Cover and let rest at warm room temperature until the dough is very puffy and marshmallowy, about 1 hour.

Shape the dough and let it rise: Lightly dust a work surface with cornmeal, then use a plastic bowl scraper to gently ease the dough out of the bowl onto the work surface. Gently deflate the dough and then sprinkle the top lightly with cornmeal. Pat the dough into a round that is ½ inch thick. Using a 3 ½-inch round cutter, cut 4 rounds out of the dough, keeping the spacing as close as possible to cut down on the amount of dough left over. Gently bring the scraps dough together, pinching it in to where. Flatten the dough to a ½ inch thickness again. If needed, then continue cutting rounds; you should be able to cut 2 more. Lightly dust a piece of parchment paper with cornmeal, then transfer the rounds of dough to the parchment. Cover and let rest until puffy, 20 to 30 minutes.

Cook the English muffins: Preheat a 10- to 12-inch 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.)

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 inch thick. Flip the muffins over and continue cooking on the second side until browned and the internal temperature registers at least 190°F, an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

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. (For storage information, see Storing Bread.)