Anchovy, Soft-Boiled Egg and Capers on Whole Grain Ciabatta

Name: Anchovy, Soft-Boiled Egg and Capers on Whole Grain Ciabatta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 13 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 loaf (4 oz / 115 g), or 2 rolls (115 g) whole grain ciabatta bread, sliced lengthwise or into 2 sandwich-sized pieces; 4 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained; 2 tablespoons (20 g) capers packed in salt or brine, rinsed and drained; ½ ripe avocado, peeled and pitted; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) fresh lemon juice; to taste sea salt; to taste freshly ground black pepper; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) red pepper flakes (optional); 1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A sophisticated Mediterranean breakfast sandwich featuring a perfectly soft-boiled egg with a runny yolk, salty anchovies, briny capers, and creamy avocado spread on toasted whole grain ciabatta. The contrast of warm egg, punchy anchovies, and crisp toast creates a deeply satisfying, restaurant-quality breakfast in minutes.

Prep: 5 min
Cook: 8 min
Wait: 2 min
Total: 15 min
Makes: 2 sandwiches

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Steps

Before you start

Have eggs at room temperature for even cooking
Bring water to a boil before adding eggs
Toast ciabatta while eggs cook to save time

1
Boil water for eggs
- Fill a small saucepan with 2 cups (480 ml) of water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Boil for about 1 minute until steam rises vigorously.
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Ready when: Water boils vigorously with large rolling bubbles
Tip: Use hot tap water to speed up boiling time, or bring water to a boil ahead of time in an electric kettle.
2
Cook eggs
- Gently lower the 2 room-temperature eggs into the boiling water using a spoon.
- Set a timer for 6 minutes for soft-boiled eggs with a runny yolk and set whites.
- Maintain a gentle boil throughout—do not let the water go off the boil or the eggs will not cook properly.
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Ready when: After 6 minutes, the egg white is set and opaque, and the yolk remains liquid when tapped
Tip: If eggs crack during cooking, they will leak but are still edible; reduce heat to medium-low to prevent further cracking. Room-temperature eggs are less prone to cracking than cold eggs.
3
Toast ciabattaOven 400°F / 205°C
- While eggs cook, slice the ciabatta lengthwise or cut into 2 sandwich-sized pieces.
- Toast the bread cut-side up in a toaster oven at 400°F (200°C) or in a regular toaster for 2–3 minutes, until golden and crispy outside but still tender inside.
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Ready when: Toast is golden brown and crispy when tapped, but not hard throughout
Tip: Don't over-toast—the bread should still be pliable enough to layer ingredients without cracking.
4
Ice-bath the eggs
- When the timer goes off, use a slotted spoon to immediately transfer the cooked eggs to a bowl of ice water.
- Let them sit for 1–2 minutes to stop the cooking process.
- The eggs will be easier to peel and the yolk will stay runny.
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Ready when: Eggs are cool enough to handle
Tip: The ice bath is critical—it stops the yolk from cooking further. Skip this step and your yolk will be hard.
5
Spread avocado
- Peel and pit the avocado half and mash it in a small bowl with the lemon juice, a pinch of sea salt, and a grind of black pepper until chunky but spreadable.
- Divide the mixture between the two toasted ciabatta pieces, spreading it evenly on the cut sides.
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Ready when: Avocado is creamy and spreadable, not lumpy or watery
Tip: Lemon juice prevents the avocado from browning and adds brightness to the sandwich.
6
Peel and arrange eggs
- Gently peel the cooled eggs under cool running water, starting at the wider end where the air pocket sits.
- Once peeled, halve each egg lengthwise.
- Arrange both halves on top of the avocado on each ciabatta piece, being careful not to break the yolk.
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Ready when: Eggs are cleanly peeled with no shell fragments and yolks remain intact
Tip: Peel under running water—it helps separate the membrane and prevents the cooked white from tearing.
7
Layer anchovies and capers
- Arrange 2 anchovy fillets on top of the egg halves on each sandwich, breaking them into smaller pieces if desired for easier eating.
- Scatter the rinsed capers (about 1 tablespoon per sandwich) evenly over the anchovies.
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Ready when: Anchovies and capers are evenly distributed
Tip: Rinse the capers to reduce saltiness, but don't over-soak them or they'll become bland. Some capers are packed in salt, others in brine—both work.
8
Season and finish
- Grind a generous amount of fresh black pepper over each sandwich.
- Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil divided between both sandwiches, and add a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired for heat.
- Serve immediately while the toast is still warm and the yolk is runny.
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Ready when: Sandwich is dressed and ready to eat
Tip: Drizzle olive oil just before serving so the toast stays crispy. The warm toast and runny yolk create a creamy sauce when you cut into the sandwich.

Good to know

Tips

For the runniest yolk, remove eggs at exactly 6 minutes. At 5 minutes the yolk may be too liquid; at 7 minutes it will be starting to set in the center.
Anchovy flavor mellows when cooked, so don't be afraid—these anchovies are raw and their punch will be exactly right against the creamy avocado and runny yolk.
If your ciabatta is very dense, slice it horizontally about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick rather than splitting it lengthwise for easier eating.
For a vegetarian version, omit the anchovies and add a fried or sunny-side-up egg instead, with capers and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Storage & reheating

This sandwich is best eaten fresh and warm. Leftovers do not store well due to the soft egg yolk and toasted bread becoming soggy. If you must store it, wrap it loosely in foil in the refrigerator for up to 1 day (not recommended). Reheat gently in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5–10 minutes until the bread is warm again, though the texture will not be ideal. The egg will be fully set and no longer runny.

Substitutions

ripe avocado → soft goat cheese or crème fraîche. Use 2–3 tablespoons (30–45 ml) per sandwich. Omit the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. This adds tanginess instead of creaminess.
anchovy fillets packed in oil → smoked salmon or prosciutto. Use 1 ounce (28 g) per sandwich. This creates a different but equally delicious flavor profile; skip the capers if using prosciutto, or reduce them to 1 teaspoon (5 g).
whole grain ciabatta bread → sourdough, rye, or pumpernickel bread. Any rustic, hearty bread will work. Toasted white bread will be too delicate and bland by comparison.
capers packed in salt or brine → Castelvetrano olives, pitted and roughly chopped. Use about 8–10 olives per sandwich (roughly 15 g). Olives are less briny and add a buttery texture instead of sharp acidity.