Egg in a Hole

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 4 slices thick-cut white or sourdough bread
• 4 tablespoons salted butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Before you cook

• Cut a 2 1/2-inch hole out of the center of each slice of bread with a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass, saving the cut-out rounds.
• Butter both sides of each slice and both sides of each round.

Steps

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes.
2. Lay two buttered slices and their rounds in the pan and toast them for 90 seconds, until the undersides are golden.
3. Flip the slices and rounds with a spatula.
4. Crack one egg into each hole, letting the white spread to the edges of the bread.
5. Season the eggs with the salt and pepper.
6. Cook for 2 minutes, until the whites are set on the bottom and the bread is browned underneath.
7. Slide a wide spatula under each slice and flip it in one motion.
8. Cook the second side for 45 seconds for a runny yolk, or 90 seconds for a firm one.
9. Plate each slice with its toasted round alongside and repeat with the remaining bread and eggs.