How to Make Dippy Eggs

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Dippy eggs with toast soldiers are a classic British breakfast. To make this nursery favorite, soft boil a few eggs so the yolks are still runny. Set the eggs into egg cups and toast a few slices of bread. Then, cut the toast into strips and have fun dunking them into the dippy eggs. Playing with your food has never tasted so good!

Ingredients

2 large eggs
2 slices of bread
Butter, to serve

Makes 2 servings

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Making the Soft-Boiled Eggs

1
Bring 2 eggs to room temperature. Take the eggs out of the refrigerator and set them on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes before you cook them. Bringing the eggs to room temperature may prevent them from cracking when you cook them.^{[1]
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- If you don't have time to set the eggs out until they're at room temperature, hold the eggs under warm running water for about 30 seconds.
2
Pour 3 inches (7.6 cm) of water into a pot and bring it to a boil. Set a pot on the stove and pour in enough water to come 3 inches (7.6 cm) up the side of the pot. Then, turn the burner to high so the water begins to boil vigorously.^{[2]
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- Avoid adding salt to the water because it can make the texture of your eggs become rubbery.
Variation: If you'd rather bake the eggs, preheat an oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and crack 1 egg into an oven-safe ramekin. Bake the egg for 15 to 18 minutes or until the egg has just set.

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3
Turn the burner to medium and lower the eggs into the water. It's important to reduce the heat to a rapid simmer or the eggs will crack when you put them in the pot. Set the room temperature eggs on a slotted spoon and carefully lower them into the simmering water.^{[3]
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4
Simmer the eggs for 4 to 5 minutes. Set a timer for 4 minutes if you like your dippy eggs to be very runny. For eggs that are slightly more set, set the timer for a total of 5 minutes. Leave the eggs to simmer with the lid off of the pot.^{[4]
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- If you cook the eggs for more than 5 minutes, the yolks will be too hard to dip the toast into.
5
Transfer the eggs to egg cups. Turn off the burner and use the slotted spoon to lift the soft-boiled eggs out of the water. Set them on a towel to air dry for a minute and then place each egg into an egg cup. Position the egg so the narrow end is at the top.^{[5]
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- If you don't have egg cups, put the eggs in shot glasses or a small dish filled with uncooked rice.
6
Slice off the top quarter of the egg to access the yolk. Although there are a lot of kitchen gadgets designed to neatly slice the cap off of a soft-boiled egg, you can use a knife. Carefully run the edge of the knife around the top quarter of the egg so you can slice through it. Discard the cap.^{[6]
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- Use a sharp knife so the egg doesn't tear as much when you cut it.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Toasting the Bread

1
Put 2 slices of bread into the toaster. Use your favorite type of bread, such as white bread, sourdough, whole grain, or rye. Keep in mind that thicker slices of bread will hold up better when you dunk them into the dippy egg.^{[7]
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- If you're making the dippy eggs and toast for kids, they might want you to cut the crusts off of the bread.
2
Toast the bread slices until they're golden brown. Adjust the setting on your toaster and push down on the lever. Heat the bread until each slice is golden brown on each side.^{[8]
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- If you don't have a toaster, use your oven or broiler to toast the bread slices.
3
Spread butter over the slices and cut them into 1 inch (2.5 cm) strips. Remove the toast and spread as much butter on them as you like. Then, take a sharp knife and carefully cut each slice into long strips that are 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.^{[9]
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- For a more filling meal, make a grilled cheese sandwich and slice it into strips for dunking.
Tip: Try spreading marmite, cheese, miso, or anchovy paste on the slices for an extra special savory flavor.
4
Dip the toast strips into the dippy egg. Poke a strip of the toast into the egg yolk and eat it. Keep dipping strips into the egg until you've finished the dippy egg. If you'd like, you can use a spoon to scoop out the rest of the egg once you've finished the toast strips.^{[10]
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- Enjoy the dippy eggs with toast right away since the toast will become soft as it sits.

Community Q&A

Question

Do you flip dippy eggs?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

It depends on your definition. If you’re making soft-boiled eggs in the shell, there’s no reason to do any flipping. However, some people cook dippy eggs by cracking them and frying them so the whites are cooked, but the yolks are still runny. If you fry your eggs, you can either flip them partway through or splash hot cooking oil on the tops to cook the whites without flipping (to make classic “sunny side up” eggs).
Question

Are dippy eggs safe to eat?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

You’re not likely to get sick from eating dippy eggs, but there is a slight risk. For this reason, many health experts recommend never feeding eggs with runny yolks to children under 5, or to anyone with a weakened immune system.
Question

How do you know when dippy eggs are done?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

It typically takes 4-5 minutes to cook soft-boiled eggs with a runny, dippy center. Your eggs will cook more evenly and are less likely to crack if you warm them up to room temperature first. Keep in mind that the time might vary depending on factors like how big your eggs are and their temperature before you started cooking them. Unfortunately, there’s no way to know for sure what you have until you crack the egg open!