Gently warm milk in a pan until lukewarm or body temperature, 98°F.

Add yeast and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside for a few minutes until the mixture is creamy and starting to froth.

In a large bowl, mix the yeast mixture, flour, butter and a pinch of salt into a soft dough. Add a dash of extra milk or flour, if needed to ensure consistency of dough is soft. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes).  

Transfer to a greased bowl, cover and set aside in a warm place to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gently knead the dough together. Knock back the dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 1” thick. Cover with a towel for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Using a star-shaped cookie cutter (or any simple holiday shape) cut out shapes out of the dough. Transfer shapes to a parchment lined baking sheet dusted with semolina (cornmeal), let rest for 15 minutes. Sprinkle more cornmeal over the tops to ensure even coating on each English muffin.  

Pre-heat oven to 325ºF