With English muffins, what does "fork split" even mean?

It means it’s not cut open with a knife, where the opening is sharp and distinct. It’s so the butter can melt into the little nooks and crannies which are natural in yeast breads.

Who opens them?

Professional tiners. :-)

@Dutchess_III: Presumably someone in the factory, right?

You have to open English muffins to toast them and butter them. You open them yourself; they come together. Do you not know what an English muffin is, Dutch? And they are much better split with a fork to create the nooks and crannies that the butter can jump in and out of.

Or are the ones you’re getting pre-split?

^^^ Yes, but…the ones I buy are not already split, and about a year ago I started cutting them with a bread knife. All these years, I’ve been following the gospel of English-muffin-toasting, splitting them with a fork, and then I stopped.

Changed my life.

So yes, I may miss a nook or a cranny, but I really don’t need the extra pools of butter, and it is a much more even and much quicker split. Let the muffin cops come for me, I’m not going back.

Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto – let’s call the whole thing off!

Speaking of California muffins though, my kids sent me the most delicious English muffins from a bakery in Napa. I am hooked on them.

It means they split easily…they are semi-sliced.

I slice mine with a serrated knife, taking some pain to follow the factory split.

Long time ago I read that the ERs see a lot of people who try to split their muffin with a fork.

I think you’re thinking of people who end up in the ER from splitting their bagel with a knife. If someone stabbed themselves from splitting an English muffin with a fork, to the point of needing medical help, I’d be surprised.

I watched a video of them being made. I couldn’t make out at what point they were split.

@Dutchess_III, did you get a good look at the baking forms? If the batter is poured into forms rather than being shaped and placed discretely on the baking surface, maybe there are tines built into them that are retracted when the baking is done. Or maybe there’s a built-in stabber that gets them at the end. Just guessing here.

And did you watch a video of the making of the same kind of muffins that you use? The process might vary among brands.

This is the one I watched.

I think they are suggesting that you split it with a fork and that the muffins are “fork split ready.” If you watch the video there is a final step where they are stabbed with sharp pointy things so I think that is helping to create the nooks to encourage fork splitting.

As @Jeruba points out, each can choose their own method but I do really doubt that there have been legions of people in ERs from English muffin fork splitting injuries.

And now I’m dying for an English muffin!

I has one toasted up with honey today. So yum.

I’ll get you one Penguin, we keep a package of raisin cinnamon in the freezer. We make ‘homemade ” Canadian Egg McMuffins” with Canadian Bacon and eggs in a round ring on the fry pan.

I watched the video, looking for the moment when the sides of the muffins are no longer intact. It happened about the time the man was onscreen, but I didn’t see the actual stab. I think the step where they’re touched with big forky things is just shepherding them, not piercing them. Those stabbers are too big for the little holes in the sides.

Time to name your brand. I’m for Thomas’s Original.

@janbb‘s suggestion about the phrase “fork-split” raises a point. We tend to read “fork-split” as an adjective describing the muffins. But because of the peculiarities of English, it could be argued that it’s an imperative, telling you “You {must | should | can |may} fork-split these muffins” (are supposed to, expected to, obliged, encouraged, ordered, invited, etc.). I’ll bet their legal department has a formal definition of “fork-split.”

@Tropical_Willie…I crack my egg in a coffee cup and nuke it for 20 seconds to set the shape. I finish it out by frying it in butter. Put on toasted muffin, add cheese and viola!

It’s a generic brand that our tiny grocery store carries called “Our Family” @Jeruba.

My collection of rings and things for cooking goes on and on . . . . . . .I’ve got a tool for browning hamburg or sausage that helps chop them up and holes to drain the fat.

@Tropical_Willie….what tool?

An egg ring 3” like this ===> https://www.webstaurantstore.com/choice-3-stainless-steel-egg-ring/471EGRSS3.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgP6PBhDmARIsAPWMq6nxYklzDZoXW0YWaA8pQzYcyK1N2KaPGDHL68-0Rxq5_1UHsa3szA8aAvN7EALw_wcB

Great for English Muffins.

Fork split means the muffin will split in half with a fork and maintain a fluffy interior with “nooks and crannies.” Like Thomas’ brand. It’s for you to split it. They are suggesting you use a fork to split it.

Other breads you can’t just stick a fork in and it easily splits in half.

Some English muffin brands are cut all the way or almost all the way through in the package with a knife cut, more of a clean cut, like Bay’s English muffins.

From the Thomas English Muffins website, under FAQ’s:

What’s the best way to cut open and toast a Thomas’ English Muffin?”

First, use your hands. Find a crease on the side and pull the muffin apart. If you prefer, you can use your fork. Just poke a hole in three sides of the muffin with a fork and pull apart. Do not use a knife. This cuts away the delicious “Nooks & Crannies” texture. Place each side of the English muffin in separate toaster slots to toast all sides evenly.

I love Mc Donald’s Egg Mc Muffins!
Now I know how they split the muffins to get the egg, ham and cheese in.
I could eat 3 or 4 of them (but I’ve only eaten 2 at one time).
Disclaimer: I own stock in Mc Donald’s.

I mean what tool to help brown hamburger and crumble it @Tropical_Willie?

Tovolo

Newsflash. A video came across my feed that showed a woman using her hands to split the muffin. You hold it on edge with one hand and squeeze it! It works!