Which cooking process involves breaking the yolk during preparation?

The cooking process that involves breaking the yolk during preparation is referred to as over hard. This technique requires the egg to be fried on one side until the whites are fully cooked, and then it is flipped to cook the other side until the yolk is broken and fully cooked through as well. This results in a firm yolk, as opposed to other methods which might leave the yolk runny or partially cooked.

In contrast, the other methods have distinct characteristics. Basted involves covering the eggs with heated fat or liquid to cook the yolk while keeping it intact. Sunny-side up is characterized by cooking the egg only on one side, leaving the yolk unbroken and runny. Over medium involves flipping the egg like over hard, but typically leaves the yolk partially runny rather than fully cooked. Therefore, understanding the definition of these cooking styles highlights why over hard is the correct choice.