Sunshine Toast

07 January 2026

European immigrants to the United States, specifically Italian would prepare a breakfast dish called uova fritte nel pane, meaning ‘fried eggs in bread’. The recipe was popularized when "egg with a hat" was published in Fannie Farmer's Boston Cooking School Cookbook in the 1890’s. It has many nicknames which vary by country, culture, region or family tradition including Egg in the Basket, Toad in the Hole, One-Eyed Jack, Pirate’s Eye, Bird’s Nest, Bull’s Eye Egg, and of course one of the most fun and optimistic - Sunshine Toast.

Total Time -
About 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS -

Per serving -

2 large eggs
2 slices of Rye bread
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and pepper to taste
Italian parsley
Maldon salt flakes for garnish

TOOLS -

8 or 10 inch cast iron skillet with lid
Medium offset spatula
Pepper mill

PREPERATION -

• Place skillet at about 7 of 10 on a gas stovetop, with 2 tablespoons butter

• Place drinking glass upside down in the middle of the bread

• Press and twist glass to cut a ring into each slice

• Remove slice, but keep as garnish or ‘chef’s snack’

• When butter begins to bubble and crack, add both slices of bread

• Shake pan to evenly coat underside of bread with butter, when toast moves freely

• Add additional tablespoon of butter as you flip the toasts

• Crack an egg into each toast hole

• Cover with a lid - the heat and steam will evenly cook the eggs

• Check cooking progress and slide to a plate when it’s prepared to your taste

• Toss bread holes into pan and allow to toast

• Garish with Italian Parsley, Maldon salt, and toasted toast holes

NOTES -

• Using the toast holes as a ‘lid’ makes it an ‘egg with a hat’

• Any kind of bread will do, or even a waffle, or leftover banana bread

• Oval toasts mimics the shape of an egg, as well as a sunrise making them Sunshine Toasts