• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Living The Gourmet
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Wines
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Wines
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Back to Basics: The Art to Soft Boiling Eggs

    Jan 7, 2019 · 15 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    We’re getting back to basics and sharing our favorite recipe staples that all home cooks should master. Starting with breakfast, the first meal of the day, we’ve cracked the secret to the perfect boiled egg.

    Certain recipes have a way of ‘mocking’ you. The process is simple, the instructions read like a ‘how-to’ on breathing, and yet the final result proves not merely elusive, but frustratingly elusive. You know the drill, those times when you can positively swear that you have done everything absolutely right, and yet there is something plainly and woefully ‘wrong’ in the result.

    Soft-Boiled Eggs are one such recipe.

    The process is about as simple as simple gets – boil water. Fire, water, and a pot. This is technology our cave dwelling ancestors would have recognized. However, add in an ‘egg,’ along with your desired texture of that egg, and suddenly ‘boiling water’ is something akin to catching a unicorn. You make a few attempts at it, and before you know it you’ve gone through a week’s worth of eggs that run the gamut from ‘too hard’ to ‘too soft,’ along with a few stuck firmly within the icky middle ground of ‘almost hard boiled.’

    Today, we’re putting this ‘simple’ recipe to rest.

    Essentials and Peripherals

    To start things off, you’ll need precisely three things – a pot, an egg, and enough water in which to fully submerge the aforementioned egg.

    Optional peripherals include a timer of some sort, be it an actual egg timer, a stop-watch on your phone, or even just the clock on your stove, and an egg cup for serving.

    See how basic this is?

    The Process

    Timing rather than technique is key here.

    There are two schools of thought on properly boiling an egg. The first, and likely most common, is to set the egg in the water, and then bring the water to a boil. The second, brings the water to a boil and then sets the egg in the water.

    The first method is what I call the “Busy Morning” method, where you don’t have the time or patience to monitor the water. The second method I dub the “Let’s Do It Right” method.

    That said, let’s begin with doing it right.

    Fill a small saucepan with water, bring it to a rapid boil. Lower the heat slightly, gently place your eggs in the pot, and let them boil like that for anywhere between four and seven minutes. Four being the ‘softest’ of soft-boiled eggs, with seven being about as ‘hard’ or ‘firm’ as you can get before having a ‘half-hard hardboiled egg,’ which no one really wants.

    For the “Busy Morning” method, simply reduce between thirty seconds to one minute off the timing total.

    Once the desired texture of the egg has been reached, it’s ready to serve. Precisely ‘how’ you serve them is a matter of pure preference. Today, I decided to be a little fancy and set them in egg cups, which I can’t help but feel is like something out of an old black and white movie.

    Few sharp taps on the top of the egg, followed by some careful partial peeling, and you’re ready to dig in with your toast and spoon.

    Print

    Soft Boiled Eggs

    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe
    • Author: Living the Gourmet
    • Prep Time: 2 minutes
    • Cook Time: 6 minutes
    • Total Time: 8 minutes
    • Yield: 2 eggs 1x

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 2 large eggs
    • 2 slices bacon
    • 2 slices toast

    Instructions

    1. In a small saucepan, bring your eggs to a boil. Once the water starts boiling, set your timer and cook the eggs for 6 minutes.
    2. To keep the eggs from cooking in their shells after you’ve removed them from the heat, run cold water over them.
    3. To peel back the egg, simply hit the bottom of the egg with the back of your spoon and gently peel away the top.
    4. Serve alongside toast and bacon if desired and enjoy!

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @LTGfood on Instagram and hashtag it #LTGfood

    Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes

    And, really, that’s all there is too it. Once you’ve got the timing down, this becomes a recipe that really can’t get much easier.

    Enjoy with Love!

    3

    Breakfast

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Eli says

      08/01/2019 at 1:13 am

      Ohh my! So interesting! <3 I loved this post, and photos too! I'm hungry now, give me a little spoon 😛 Great. Many blessings to you in this new year dear!

      Reply
    2. angiesrecipes says

      08/01/2019 at 5:10 am

      Eggs are one of the best protein sources! Love it!

      Reply
    3. angiesrecipes says

      08/01/2019 at 5:13 am

      p.s 3 mins for medium or large sized eggs?

      Reply
      • Living the Gourmet says

        08/01/2019 at 3:57 pm

        Dear Angie, It will be 5 minutes for large eggs! Sorry for that edit. Enjoy dear! XO

        Reply
    4. Emmeline says

      08/01/2019 at 11:32 am

      This has to be one of the most delicious breakfasts there is! And yes, so elusively “simple” to make. Thanks for the detailed instruction – will use it next time!

      Reply
    5. DAVID J MYERS says

      08/01/2019 at 4:24 pm

      Catherine, I can’t remember the last time i had or we made soft boiled eggs… Its been years… Thanks for the reminder and the method too! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

      Reply
    6. mimi rippee says

      08/01/2019 at 10:59 pm

      Great post! I’ve never opened a soft-boiled egg like that. I just usually tap tap tap around the top and cut into it. I grew up with soft-boiled eggs and my (french) mother always served them in cute little egg holders. So European!

      Reply
    7. Noel Lizotte says

      09/01/2019 at 12:18 am

      You’re so right, it’s often the “simple” things that are most difficult!
      We’ve given up soft boiled and remain in the hard boiled camp.

      Reply
    8. Danielle Wolter says

      09/01/2019 at 1:50 am

      I sure do love me a soft boiled egg. What great tips for making them!

      Reply
    9. Marisa Franca says

      09/01/2019 at 1:23 pm

      I love soft cooked eggs but I haven’t had them in years! Yours look perfectly cooked — reminds me of my youth and my mamma cooking them. Your tips are fantastic for cooking them just the way I like them. I’ll be remembering your instructions.

      Reply
    10. Jeannette (Jay Joy) says

      09/01/2019 at 3:45 pm

      My husband has gotten this down to a science. 7 minutes. The thing is, I think many stove tops are different, so we have to find which will work for the stove specifically (hence your 4 -7 minutes).

      Reply
    11. Gene says

      09/01/2019 at 8:11 pm

      Taking me back to my childhood of eggs and toast soldiers.

      Reply
    12. Claudia Lamascolo says

      12/01/2019 at 11:22 am

      Hi you two~! what a great post! Love the eggs and the intermittent photo is so cool too! Happy New Year love you guys!

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Diner Style Pancakes with Pumpkin Spice Maple Syrup - Living The Gourmet says:
      14/09/2019 at 5:15 pm

      […] 2) Perfect Soft Boiled Eggs. An old time breakfast favorite that makes for a great side to today’s pancakes. Here’s a guide to the perfect soft boiled egg. […]

      Reply
    2. Potato and Onion Frittata - Living The Gourmet says:
      25/10/2021 at 2:54 pm

      […] Soft Boiled. My favorite way to have eggs growing up, I still remember cracking into these on busy school […]

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Living the Gourmet! Our goal is to bring you recipes and inspirations for a gourmet life.

    Meet the family →

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Our Story
    • Privacy Policy & Disclaimer

    Contact

    • Media Kit

    Social

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    Living The Gourmet
    Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

    Strictly Necessary Cookies

    Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

    If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.