1. 1. Prepare Your Muffin Tin: Preheat your oven to 375 F (190 C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease it thoroughly with butter or non-stick spray. This ensures your muffins won’t stick and makes for easy cleanup.

2. 2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make sure there are no lumps and everything is evenly distributed. This step is crucial for consistent rising.

3. 3. Mix Wet Ingredients Separately: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, milk, melted butter, and egg until well combined. If using honey, stir it into this wet mixture now.

4. 4. Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a spoon or spatula just until everything is moistened. A few lumps are perfectly fine; overmixing will lead to tough muffins.

5. 5. Fill Muffin Cups: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups. You can use an ice cream scoop for easy and consistent portioning. Fill each cup about two-thirds full.

6. 6. Bake Until Golden: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

7. 7. Cool and Serve: Once baked, remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents them from becoming soggy on the bottom.