Old-Fashioned, No-Knead English Muffins

Ingredients

• 10 ounces bread flour
• 5 ounces whole wheat flour
• 2 3/4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use the same weight or half as much by volume
• 1 1/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast, not rapid-rise
• 12 ounces cold milk, any percentage will do
• 3 1/2 ounces honey
• 1 large egg white, cold
• 5 ounces fine cornmeal, for dusting
• Roughly 1 ounce bacon fat, unsalted butter, or oil, for griddling

Directions

1. Add the bread flour and whole wheat flour to a large bowl, then stir in the kosher salt and yeast until everything is evenly mixed. Pour in the milk, honey, and egg white, and work it with a flexible spatula until the dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic and leave it at 70 degrees F (21 degrees C) until the dough looks bubbly, airy, and has risen to more than twice its original size, 4 to 5 hours. You have some wiggle room on the timing.
2. Scatter cornmeal generously over a rimmed aluminum baking sheet, making a thick, even bed. Use a large spoon to drop the dough into 12 portions, each 2 2/3-ounce (75g); judging by sight is fine. If the mounds look a little wild, pinch them in spots to neaten the shape. Dust with more cornmeal, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours and as long as 42 hours.
3. Heat an electric griddle to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C), or warm a cast iron skillet or griddle, 12-inch, over medium-low heat. When the cooking surface is hot enough to make the fat sizzle, add half the butter and let it melt. Cook the muffins until the undersides are golden brown, about 8 minutes. Turn them with a square-end spatula and cook the second side the same way. Move the muffins to a wire rack until they are cool enough to pick up. To split them, use your thumbs to work around the edges, easing each one open bit by bit. Toast before serving. Put any extras in an airtight container; they can sit at room temperature for up to 1 week, or go into the fridge for 1 month.