The Genius English Muffin Hack We Wish We’d Known About Sooner
- English muffins are meant to be split, not sliced, in order to preserve their nooks and crannies that toast up perfectly, according to a kitchen hack shared by content creator Dustin Hadley.
Some kitchen tasks are oddly satisfying—like peeling a hard-boiled egg when the shell comes off in one piece, slicing through a perfectly ripe avocado or snapping asparagus just where it naturally breaks. And then there's opening an English muffin, which sits at the other end of the spectrum.
If you know, you know. You pull one out of the bag, toast and butter dreams dancing in your head, only to fight with it like it's guarding a secret. You try a butter knife, maybe a fork, and before you know it, you've mangled it into a sad, uneven mess that won't toast properly no matter how hard you try.
But this trick, shared by content creator Dustin Hadley ( @that40yearguy ) is going to change all that!
Related: We Tried 10 Popular English Muffin Brands and Found a New Favorite
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The English Muffin Struggle Is Real
Let's talk about it: English muffins are supposed to be split, not sliced. It's printed right on the packaging!
Slicing them with a knife ruins all those nooks and crannies that make them so good. When they're split properly, those jagged edges toast up with the perfect crunch and soak up butter like a dream. When you cut them, it's like flattening a croissant before eating it.
The problem is, "split" sounds easy in theory, but in practice, it often turns into a chaotic mess. Muffins tear in all the wrong places and you end up with one half that's normal and another that looks like it's been attacked by raccoons.
If you're someone who gets irrationally irritated by this little breakfast battle (hi, it's me), there's good news! Hadley said there's a better way, and it's so simple, it's almost ridiculous.
Related: 24 Need-Right-Now Bagel Sandwiches for Breakfast, Brunch & Lunch
How to Open an English Muffin Perfectly Every Time
Instead of reaching for a knife, take the English muffin in your hands and gently roll it between your palms, just like you'd roll a ball of dough, but more gently. As you roll, apply a little pressure. Not so much that you crush it, but enough to feel it loosen.
Then, when it feels like the muffin's starting to give, gently squeeze around the edges. Keep rotating and squeezing, and within seconds, it'll split itself perfectly along the seam. No tools. No tears. No sadness.
What you're doing here is using the muffin's natural structure against itself. English muffins have a weak seam around the middle. Rolling and squeezing takes advantage of that seam and opens it the way it was meant to open, preserving every delicious nook and cranny.
This trick is faster and more efficient than a fork, cleaner than a knife and way more satisfying. It's one of those hacks that makes you feel like maybe, just maybe, you're winning at life—even if it's only breakfast.
If you've ever wrestled with an English muffin and lost, you're not alone. But now you've got a better way!
So the next time you're craving that perfectly toasted muffin with melty butter or stacked high with egg and cheese, skip the frustration. Just roll, squeeze and enjoy the reward of learning this kitchen hack.
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