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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.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Snacks and Starters
Cuisine: Spanish
Keyword: pan con tomate, spanish tomato bread
Servings: 1 slice
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Garlic. You'll rub a clove of garlic onto the toasted bread. You can use as much or as little as you like.
  4. 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.
  5. 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

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