This is avocado toast with a homemade dukkah — a quick nut-and-spice blend you toast in a dry pan — and a poached egg on sourdough. The whole thing takes 25 minutes, and the dukkah is what makes it worth making at home instead of paying café prices for it.
The technique that matters
Poaching the egg is the one step that trips people up, and the fix is simple: keep the water at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil. Boiling water tears the white apart before it sets. You want small bubbles breaking the surface — around 180°F if you’re using a thermometer, or just below where it starts to churn. The vinegar helps the white hold together, so don’t skip it. The dukkah also needs attention: hazelnuts and sesame seeds go from golden to burnt fast in a dry pan, so stay at the stove and keep them moving. Pull them off heat the moment they smell toasty — residual heat in the pan will finish the job.
What can go wrong
- Avocado mash turns brown before serving: Mash it last, right before you assemble. The lemon juice slows oxidation, but air exposure is the real enemy — don’t mash and walk away.
- Egg white spreads into a thin, ragged mess: The egg wasn’t fresh enough. Older eggs have thinner whites that don’t hold their shape in water. Use the freshest eggs you have, and crack each one into a small cup first so you can lower it close to the water surface.
- Dukkah burns on one side: The pan was too hot before you added anything. Start with a cold dry pan and bring it up to medium — the nuts and seeds need gradual heat, not a blast.
- Toast goes soggy under the avocado: Spread the mash onto toast that’s had 30 seconds to cool and release steam. Trapping steam under the topping softens the crust quickly.
- Dukkah tastes flat: The spices need to hit the hot pan briefly — if you stir in the cumin and coriander and immediately take the pan off heat, they won’t bloom. Give them the full 30 seconds over heat before removing.
Shopping notes
Dukkah ingredients: Pre-toasted hazelnuts save a step — check the baking aisle. If hazelnuts aren’t available, blanched almonds work fine; skip the pistachios unless you want a sweeter, milder result. Sourdough: Day-old loaf from a bakery toasts better than fresh-sliced packaged sourdough, which has a softer crumb and can go limp. If you only have fresh, toast it a full minute longer. Maldon sea salt: Worth buying if you don’t have it — the flat flakes give a clean crunch that fine salt can’t replicate — but any flaky sea salt does the same job. Skip the fancy finishing salt altogether if you’re in a hurry; the dukkah already brings enough texture and seasoning.
Gourmet Avocado Toast with Poached Egg and Dukkah
Equipment
- Toaster or grill pan
- Saucepan for poaching eggs
- Mixing bowl
- Slotted spoon
- Small frying pan (for dukkah)
Ingredients
For the Avocado Toast:
- 2 slices sourdough bread preferably day-old for better toasting
- 1 medium ripe avocado Hass variety recommended
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice freshly squeezed only
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt Maldon flakes if available
- 2 large eggs free-range preferred
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar for poaching eggs
For the Dukkah Spice Mix:
- 1 tablespoon hazelnuts toasted and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds lightly toasted
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Toast the Sourdough: Toast the bread slices in a toaster or grill pan over medium heat (about 350°F / 175°C) until golden and crisp on both sides, approximately 3–4 minutes.
- Make the Avocado Mash: In a bowl, mash the avocado with lemon juice and sea salt until creamy yet slightly chunky. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Poach the Eggs: In a saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a gentle simmer (around 180°F / 82°C). Add vinegar. Crack each egg into a ramekin. Swirl the water into a vortex and gently slide in one egg at a time. Cook for 3 minutes for a runny yolk. Remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on paper towel.
- Prepare Dukkah: Toast the hazelnuts and sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until golden and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Stir in cumin and coriander, toast another 30 seconds. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Assemble the Toast: Spread mashed avocado generously over toast. Top each with a poached egg. Sprinkle with the dukkah and an optional drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
- For extra zest, top with pickled red onions or a touch of chili flakes.
- Swap hazelnuts with almonds or pistachios depending on what you have on hand.
- Make the dukkah in larger batches and store airtight—it’s lovely on salads, roasted veggies, or even yogurt.
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I make the dukkah ahead of time?
Yes — it keeps well in a small airtight jar at room temperature for up to two weeks. Making a double batch takes almost no extra effort and means the topping is ready to go on busy mornings.
What if I can’t get a poached egg to work?
A fried egg with a runny yolk is a direct substitute — cook it over-easy in a little butter and you get the same yolk-breaking moment when you eat it. The texture is slightly different but the dish still works.
How do I know if my avocado is ripe enough?
It should yield to gentle pressure from your thumb without feeling mushy. If the small stem at the top flicks off easily and shows green underneath, it’s ready — brown underneath means it’s likely overripe inside.
Can I make this for more than two people without it becoming complicated?
Toast and avocado mash scale up easily — do those first and keep the toast warm in a low oven on a rack. Poach the eggs in two batches rather than crowding the pan, which drops the water temperature and makes the whites spread.
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