In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add in the lukewarm buttermilk, softened butter, salt, sugar, egg, bread flour and yeast. Beat on low speed to incorporate the ingredients, mixing for about 1 minute. Change out the paddle attachment and switch to the dough hook attachment. Continue beating on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, or until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, and is shiny and smooth. When you pull up the dough hook, it should be very elastic and stretchy, yet still soft.

Scrape the dough into a rough ball and place it back into the bowl. Cover the bowl lightly with a dish towel and let rise for about 2 hours or until doubled in size and puffy. I like to do this in a warmer place in my kitchen that has no draft.

Gently punch down the dough and turn it out onto a clean work surface dusted lightly with flour. Cut the dough ball in half, then cut each half into 8 equal pieces using a very sharp knife or a bench scraper, for a total of 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball about 3" in diameter and gently flatten the ball with your hand. Place the English muffins on a cornmeal-dusted baking sheet, cover and let proof for about 20 minutes. Muffins may not rise much more but they will likely puff up some.

Prepare your griddle. If using a griddle, dust the griddle with cornmeal or semolina. Likewise, you can use a non-stick frying pan dusted with cornmeal. Place several muffins onto the cornmeal-dusted griddle or frying pan and turn on the heat to medium-low. Cook the muffins without disturbing them too much until golden brown on the bottom, about 10-15 minutes, before gently flipping to cook the other side. If muffins are browning too quickly, you can remove them back to the cornmeal-dusted cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until the muffins are cooked all the way through. An instant-read thermometer should read about 200 degrees F as an internal temperature.

Remove the muffins from the heat and let cool before serving. Remember to fork split your muffins for optimal nooks and crannies. Store any leftover muffins airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight before serving.