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At a glance
- What it is: A traditional Spanish tapa that also makes an excellent snack or breezy meal component during tomato season. I’ve approached this recipe here as a casual snack for one and also provided instructions to scale it up to feed a crowd.
- What makes it special: This dish is a gorgeous example of how a handful of really great ingredients is all you need to blow your mind. My version is heavy on the tomato and can be topped with all sorts of proteins to make it a more substantial snack or even a meal.
- How to make it: Toast the bread and rub with garlic. Grate the tomato, spoon onto the bread, and top with olive oil and salt.
Why you’ll love this recipe
As far as I know I don’t have any Spanish heritage, but I still feel totally at one with tapas culture. A cold drink on a warm evening, standing at a table and sharing little snacks and conversation with friends, often being at the whim of the chef, maybe moving on to a second or a third location. What could be better?
Pan con tomate is certainly the easiest tapa to make at home, and here I’ve tried to make it even more accessible, so you can enjoy it every day during the summer and not have to wait for a gathering. My version:
- Serves one (but can be scaled up)
- Gives you permission to use whatever bread you have on hand
- Goes heavy on the tomato
- Loves an extra topping (see suggestions below)
Hope you love it. xx
Video: How to make Spanish tomato bread
What you’ll need
Here’s a peek at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Bread. The traditional bread choice for pan con tomate is the Catalan specialty coca bread, but I have yet to find it in my area. Ciabatta is a great alternative if you’re making this dish for a family or a crowd. It has a large surface area, sturdy crust that holds up to topping, and a nice, open crumb that accommodates the tomato. When I’m eating tomato bread for a solo snack or as part of a breakfast or lunch, I’m more than happy to cut myself a thick slice of any hearty bread I’ve got on hand. As long as it toasts well, it’s a fine contender for my casual take on this dish. Here I’ve pictured a slice of heritage grain sourdough boule.
- Tomato. Any nice, ripe, juicy tomato, from plum to heirloom, is a great choice. This recipe is not worth making if your tomatoes are meh. In the most traditional version of this dish, you simply rub a cut tomato onto the bread. However, I prefer a much higher tomato ratio, so I like the grating method.
- Garlic. You’ll rub a clove of garlic onto the toasted bread. You can use as much or as little as you like.
- Extra-virgin olive oil. You know how I’m always saying you can save your really good olive oil for another dish? This is that dish. You’ll really taste how special it is. That said, if you don’t have anything special, a regular extra-virgin olive oil is great, too.
- Flaky sea salt. Use Maldon salt or something with a similar big flake that will give you little pops of salinity in each bite.
How to make it
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make pan con tomate. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below. I’ve given you two versions of the method, one for a single serving and one for a crowd.
For one
- Cut a slice of bread and toast it. Rub the toasted bread with garlic.
- Grate the tomato on the large holes of a box grater.
- Spoon tomato onto bread.
- Top with olive oil and flaky sea salt.
For a crowd
- Slice open a whole loaf of crusty bread such as ciabatta. Toast, broil, or grill it until it has some nice dark brown spots. Rub the cut surface with garlic.
- Grate three to four medium tomatoes on the large holes of a box grater.
- Place grated tomato into a bowl and mix with olive oil and flaky sea salt.
- Spoon topping over bread and cut into slices. You can finish with more olive oil and salt if you like.
Toppings for pan con tomate
This dish is perfect as-is, but it’s also ready to be bulked up a bit with your choice of toppings. I love:
- Cured meats like Serrano or Ibérico ham (or, if I’m being honest, in my household, usually prosciutto)
- Manchego cheese
- Anchovies, sardines, or tuna
- A seven-minute egg or two
- Burrata, olive oil, and flaky sea salt
Expert tips and FAQs
Can I make this recipe in advance? What about leftovers?
I try to say yes when I can, but this is a dish you really need to make right before serving, and try to make only as much as you’ll eat.
Summarize & Save This Content On
Spanish Tomato Bread (Pan con Tomate)
This staple of Spanish tapas is also a wonderful snack or component of a simple meal on a lazy summer day, and that's the approach I've taken here. My version is heavy on the tomato, and this recipe serves one but can easily be scaled up as much as you like.
Ingredients
- 1 slice rustic bread
- 1 medium ripe tomato
- 1 clove garlic
- extra-virgin olive oil
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Toast, grill, or broil the bread until lightly browned.
- Meanwhile, grate the tomato on the large holes of a box grater. If you like, pour off any thin liquid that accumulates.
- Rub the toasted bread with the garlic clove.
- Spoon the grated tomato onto the bread. Drizzle on plenty of olive oil and sprinkle with lots of flaky sea salt.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Bread. The traditional bread choice for pan con tomate is the Catalan specialty coca bread, but I have yet to find it in my area. Ciabatta is a great alternative if you’re making this dish for a family or a crowd. It has a large surface area, sturdy crust that holds up to topping, and a nice, open crumb that accommodates the tomato. When I’m eating tomato bread for a solo snack or as part of a breakfast or lunch, I’m more than happy to cut myself a thick slice of any hearty bread I’ve got on hand. As long as it toasts well, it’s a fine contender for my casual take on this dish. Here I’ve pictured a slice of heritage grain sourdough boule.
- Tomato. Any nice, ripe, juicy tomato, from plum to heirloom, is a great choice. This recipe is not worth making if your tomatoes are meh. In the most traditional version of this dish, you simply rub a cut tomato onto the bread. However, I prefer a much higher tomato ratio, so I like the grating method.
- Garlic. You’ll rub a clove of garlic onto the toasted bread. You can use as much or as little as you like.
- Extra-virgin olive oil. You know how I’m always saying you can save your really good olive oil for another dish? This is that dish. You’ll really taste how special it is. That said, if you don’t have anything special, a regular extra-virgin olive oil is great, too.
- Flaky sea salt. Use Maldon salt or something with a similar big flake that will give you little pops of salinity in each bite.
Scaling up for more than one person
If you’re making pan con tomate for multiple people, buy a whole loaf of ciabatta and open it into two halves like you would for a sandwich. Toast, broil, or grill the whole loaf. Use three to four tomatoes. After grating them and pouring off any thin liquid, stir a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and plenty of flaky salt right into the tomatoes. Rub the bread with garlic and then spoon the tomato mixture onto the bread. Finish with more olive oil and sea salt if you like.Topping for pan con tomate
This dish is perfect as-is, but it’s also ready to be bulked up a bit with your choice of toppings. I love:- Cured meats like Serrano or Ibérico ham (or, if I’m being honest, in my household, usually prosciutto)
- Manchego cheese
- Anchovies, sardines, or tuna
- A seven-minute egg or two
- Burrata, olive oil, and flaky sea salt
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 138kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 81mg, Potassium: 347mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 1025IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 18mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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