This Spanish tomato bread or pan con tomate is a humble yet flavourful Catalan dish made with simple ingredients. Lightly toasted bread is combined with fresh and juicy tomatoes, fragrant garlic, fruity olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. Its fresh ingredients and bold flavours make it a delicious and easy addition to any meal.
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Pa Amb Tomàquet or Pan Tumaca
Pan con tomate originates from Catalonia, an autonomous community in the northeast of Spain. Locally known as pa amb tomàquet, pan tumaca, or pantumaca, the name translates directly to ‘bread with tomato’. The dish was first documented in 1884, when tomato pulp was used as a way to revive old, stale bread and give it new life.
Nowadays it is one of the most popular Spanish bread recipes in the country and especially in the region of Catalonia where it is served at every possible meal. This Spanish tomato bread is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed at any time of the day. Whether served for breakfast, brunch, as a Spanish tapas dish or as a snack, its adaptability makes it a staple in Spanish cuisine. While it’s an integral part of Catalonian food culture, in other regions of Spain it’s more commonly enjoyed as a breakfast dish.
Spanish tomato bread ingredients
Making pan con tomate only requires five key ingredients, just use high quality and fresh ingredients for the best results.
- Bread: Use a hard-crusted rustic style loaf of bread, like a farmer’s loaf, ciabatta or baguette. The key is to provide a sturdy base, with only the top lightly grilled. Traditionally in Catalonia, they use pan de payés (or pa de pagès in Catalan), a round bread with a thick, dark crust and a mildly tangy and sour taste.
- Tomatoes: Use very fresh, ripe and juicy tomatoes for the best results. No need to peel the tomatoes.
- Garlic: You will need one large, unpeeled clove of garlic for that extra punch of flavour.
- Olive oil: Use a high quality extra virgin olive oil with a delicious fruity flavour for the best results.
- Salt: Flaky sea salt, fleur de sel or Kosher salt are all great for that final sprinkle of flavour.
How to make pan con tomate
Even if this Spanish tomato bread is traditionally originating from Catalonia, it is eaten and served all over the country, and beyond. There are however, as with many dishes, various ways of making this pan tumaca. I will explain both ways of preparing it and you can choose your favourite version.
Pa Amb Tomàquet – Catalan Tomato Bread
- Slice the bread: Slice the bread into 1/2 to 1 inch thick slices (1.5 to 2.5 cm). The slices should be thin enough to eat comfortably, yet thick enough to hold their structure without becoming too soggy.
- Toast the bread: The bread should not be too hard. Just the top needs to be nice and crispy to be able to rub the garlic and tomato over it. Put the slices in the toaster or brush with a bit of olive oil and put under the broiler (just a few minutes maximum) or in a grill pan.
- Rub the garlic: Cut the garlic clove in half (no need to peel) and rub the cut side over 1 side of the warm toast
- Rub the tomatoes: Cut the tomato in half and rub the cut size of the tomato generously over one side of the bread, slightly squeezing out the pulp.
- Add the oil and salt: Drizzle with olive oil over the tomato bread and finish off with a sprinkle of salt.
Spanish Tomato Bread
- Slice and grill the bread: Slice the bread into 1/2 to 1 inch thick slices (1.5 to 2.5 cm), brush with olive oil and lightly toast in a grill-pan or under the broiler.
- Rub the garlic: Cut an unpeeled garlic clove lengthwise in half and rub the cut side of the garlic over one side of the toasted bread. Do this preferably when the toast is still warm as then the garlic melts gently over the bread.
- Grate the tomatoes: Cut the tomatoes in half, no need to peel. Place a grater over a bowl and grate the tomatoes until you only have the peel left, collecting the pulp in the bowl. Discard the skin.
- Add the oil: Stir in the olive oil in the tomato pulp.
- Make the tomato bread: Spoon the tomato / olive oil mixture generously over the toasted bread. Sprinkle with salt to season.
- Serve: Serve immediately before the bread gets too soggy.
The preferred way of making pan tumaca or pa amb tomàquet in Catalonia is the first one, where the tomato is rubbed over the toasted bread. In the rest of Spain, you’ll find more often the grated tomato pulp spooned over the bread, which is also my preferred way for making Spanish tomato bread.
How to serve
This Spanish tomato bread or pan con tomate is usually served for breakfast or brunch but it can easily be eaten throughout the day, as a snack, an appetizer or as part of a Spanish tapas board.
For the best experience, pan con tomate is ideally served fresh to prevent the bread from becoming soggy from the tomato juice. However, if you want to prepare it ahead of time, a DIY setup works perfectly. Simply toast or grill the bread and arrange the other ingredients in small bowls so guests can assemble their own slices. Alternatively, you can prepare all the components and assemble them just before serving.
To make it heartier, especially for brunch, consider adding toppings like a slice of jamón serrano (Spanish ham), anchovies, or Manchego cheese for extra flavour and texture.
More Spanish tapas recipes to try
- Blistered Padrón peppers
- Spanish tortilla de patatas – Spanish omelette
- Fried anchovies – boquerones fritos
- Mussels in vinaigrette – mejillones a la vinaigreta
Pan con Tomate (Spanish Tomato Bread or Pa Amb Tomàquet)
Ingredients
- 4 slices rustic bread country loaf or other hearty bread
- 2 tomatoes ripe
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- flaky sea salt or Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Toast the slices of bread lightly brown in the oven, in the toaster or in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil.
- When the bread is toasted, cut the garlic clove in half, no need to remove the peel, and rub the cut half over one side of the warm toasted bread.
- Cut the tomatoes lengthwise in half, no need to remove the peel. Place a grater over a bowl and grate the tomato pulp out into the bowl until you only have the peel left. Discard the peels. Add the olive oil to the grated tomatoes and stir.
- Spoon the tomato mixture generously over each of the slices of toast and finish off with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Bread: Use a hard-crusted, hearty type of bread like ciabatta, baguette, country loaf or a rustic farmers’ bread. Cut each size to a minimum thickness of 1/2 inch or 1 cm.
- Salt: Avoid using fine table salt as it won’t work well in this recipe. Instead, use coarse salt, such as flaky sea salt, kosher salt or Maldon salt.
- Toasting: Lightly toast the bread until it is just golden brown.
- Garlic: Rub the garlic on the toast while it’s still warm. This allows the flavors to meld into the bread.
