Sliced egg on bread: how to cook a firm egg
A firm egg has a set white and a yolk that is firm and matte almost all the way in, with a small, soft center. The yolk keeps its shape when you cut the egg into slices.
Firm egg
Cooking time: 8 minutes and 30 seconds
for a medium (53–63 g) egg straight from the fridge in boiling water at sea level
A soft-boiled, creamy, jammy or firm egg isn't fully cooked. Follow the egg advice where you live, especially for anyone pregnant, young children, older people and people with weakened immune systems.
Cook firm eggWhy a firm egg on bread?
On an open sandwich you lay slices of egg over the butter. The yolk in a hard-boiled egg is pale and crumbly, but in a firm egg it keeps its shape in slices, and the middle is a little soft and moist.
How to do it
- Fill a pot with enough water to cover the eggs and bring it to a rolling boil. Eggs straight from the fridge are fine. Lower them in with a spoon.
- Tap Start when the egg is in the water. A medium (53–63 g, about a US large) egg straight from the fridge should cook for 8 minutes and 30 seconds in boiling water at sea level. Choose size, temperature and altitude in the timer for your egg.
- Put the egg straight into cold water until it is cold. That stops the cooking and makes the egg easier to peel and slice.
- Tap the egg lightly on the counter and roll it, so the shell cracks all over. Peel it under cold running water, starting at the wide end.
Two tips
- Slice with a thin knife, and wipe it between slices.
- If you want fully firm slices, or you need an egg that is fully cooked, choose hard-boiled and check that the yolk is firm all the way through.
Questions and answers
How long should the egg boil for bread?
A firm medium (53–63 g) egg straight from the fridge should cook for 8 minutes and 30 seconds in boiling water at sea level. The time is calculated. The timer works out the time for your size and altitude.
Why is the middle of the egg a little soft?
A firm egg has a firm yolk almost all the way in, with a small, soft center. That is intended, and it means the egg isn't fully cooked.
Can I use a hard-boiled egg instead?
A hard-boiled egg works on bread too. The yolk is firm all the way through and crumbles more easily when you slice it. Choose hard-boiled in the timer.
Want another size, temperature or altitude? The timer works out the time for your egg.
Cook firm egg