Sourdough English muffins

Stir 75 g water, 25 g starter and 75 g flour together for the pre-ferment and leave covered on the counter overnight, 12 to 18 hours.

Put the water in a bowl, add the yeast, then the pre-ferment and the olive oil, and stir until the starter dissolves.

Add the flour, then the salt, and stir about 30 seconds to a shaggy dough.

Knead in the bowl with wet hands, rotating the dough, for two to three minutes.

Switch to slap and fold, letting gravity stretch the dough and slapping it on the bottom of the bowl, rotating 90 degrees each time; do not overdevelop it.

Turn out and tuck into a tight ball with the dough scraper until the top is shiny with tension, then put it in an oiled bowl under plastic.

Ferment two hours, until doubled, alive and gassy and holding an indentation.

For the clarified butter, melt two sticks over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes until the water has simmered out, the milk solids have sunk and the bubbling slows, then pour off the fat.

Dust a sheet tray with cornmeal.

Divide the dough into 12 balls of 75 g and roll each tight like a hamburger bun, setting them seam side down in the cornmeal, then flip so both sides are coated.

Cover with a half sheet tray and proof in a warm place about two hours, until doubled and buoyant.

Preheat a large non-stick pan on medium for five to six minutes, add half the clarified butter.

Fry four minutes per side, eight minutes total on medium, moving them off hot spots and into the pooled butter.

If they take too much colour before eight minutes, finish in a 325F oven for five to six minutes.

Cool on the sheet tray 15 to 20 minutes to set up and finish cooking.

Fry the second batch of six the same way.

The whole process can be done the day before, frying off the proofed muffins in the morning.