Five-Minute Egg in a Hole

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

One thick slice of bread, a hole cut in the middle, and an egg cracked right in. The whole thing lives or dies on two details: butter the bread generously so it fries into a golden crouton-crisp raft, and pull it off the heat the second the white sets so the yolk floods the plate when you cut in. Five minutes, one skillet, and a toasted bread "button" on the side for dipping.

Ingredients

• 2 slices country white or sourdough bread, cut 3/4-inch thick
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

• 2 large eggs, as fresh as you can get
• kosher salt
• coarsely ground black pepper

• 1 tbsp finely chopped chives or flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
• flaky sea salt
• hot sauce

Instructions

1. Crack the eggs into two small bowls or teacups now, before you touch the pan. This is the whole trick to a runny yolk — once the bread hits the butter you have about 20 seconds to get the eggs in, and fumbling a shell over a hot skillet is how yolks break.
2. Cut a hole in the center of each bread slice with a 2- to 2.5-inch round cutter, a shot glass, or the rim of a small juice glass. Press straight down and twist. Save the cut-out rounds — they toast alongside and become the best bite.
3. Butter the bread aggressively on both sides, all the way to the edges and right up to the rim of the hole: about 1 tablespoon of softened butter per slice, split between the two faces. Dry patches are where the toast goes pale and leathery, so don't be shy. Butter the cut-out rounds too.
4. Set a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. When it stops foaming and smells nutty, about 45 seconds, lay in both slices of bread and the two rounds. You want a steady sizzle, not a roar — if the butter is browning fast, drop the heat to medium-low.
5. Immediately slide one egg into each hole, aiming for the center. If white spills onto the bread, leave it; it glues the egg to the toast. Season each yolk and white with a pinch of kosher salt and a good crack of pepper.
6. Cook undisturbed for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, until the bottom of the bread is deep golden and the egg white is opaque around the edges but still loose and jiggly at the center. Flip the bread rounds once during this time.
7. Slide a wide, thin spatula fully under one slice, supporting the whole thing, and flip it in one confident motion. Cook 45 to 60 seconds on the second side — no more. Repeat with the other slice. If you're adding Parmesan, scatter it over the toast now so it melts into the crust.
8. Check for doneness by pressing the center of the yolk with a fingertip: it should feel soft and yielding, like a water balloon. If it feels firm, it's already past runny, so err early — the residual heat keeps cooking it on the plate.
9. Transfer to warm plates, add flaky salt, chives, and hot sauce if using, and prop the toasted round against the side for dipping. Eat right now, while the yolk is still liquid and the bread still crackles.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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