Eggs in a Hole

By lorik

You will need two heavy-bottomed rimmed baking sheets; our favorite is the Wear-Ever Half Size Heavy Duty Sheet Pan (13 Gauge) by Vollrath. If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, cut the toast holes with a sturdy drinking glass.

Ingredients

• 6 slices hearty white sandwich bread
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 6 large eggs
• Salt and pepper

Details

Adapted from cookscountry.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Adjust oven racks to lowest and top positions, place rimmed baking sheet on lowest rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Spread 1 side of bread slices evenly with 2½ tablespoons butter. Using 2½-inch biscuit cutter, cut out and remove circle from center of each piece of bread.

2. Remove hot sheet from oven and melt remaining 2½ tablespoons butter on it, tilting sheet to distribute evenly. Place bread circles down center of sheet and bread slices on either side of circles, buttered side up, in single layer. Return sheet to lowest oven rack and bake until bread is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes, flipping bread and rotating sheet halfway through baking.

3. Remove sheet from oven and set inside second (room-temperature) rimmed baking sheet. Crack 1 egg into each bread hole. Season with salt and pepper. Bake on top oven rack until whites are barely set, 4 to 6 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking.

4. Place sheets on wire rack and let sit until whites are completely set, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Variation:

Try with ham and gruyere as follows:

1 1/2 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (1/3 cup)
2 ounces deli ham, minced

3. Remove sheet from oven and set inside second (room-temperature) rimmed baking sheet. Crack 1 egg into each bread hole, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle eggs with Gruyère, then ham. Bake on top oven rack until whites are barely set, 4 to 6 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking.


4. Place sheets on wire rack and let sit until whites are completely set, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately