Tomato Bread, or Pan con Tomate, is perhaps one of the most classic tapas selections. Simple to prepare, with few ingredients, it is a go to item to add variety to a simple selection of tapas. And, it’s one of my recommendations for an easy tapas party.
To prepare the ultimate in tomato bread you need a great crusty bread, and nice ripe tomatoes. Sadly, those are not as easy to come by as we all would like. This means that truly incredible pan con tomate is limited to summer when vine ripened tomatoes are everywhere. During the rest of the year just select the best tomato you can find, and let it rest at room temperature for a couple days. It probably isn’t going to ripen any further, but at least it should soften up a bit!
The crusty bread should be a little easier to come by. Search for a nice baguette or batard. Yeah, I know those are French breads, but that is the type of bread that is probably most readily available. Better yet, bake your own nice crusty loaf. Here is a great dough recipe, just form the dough into 16 ounce baguette shaped loaves.
The other important key ingredient is the olive oil. Ideally, you should use a nice extra virgin Spanish olive oil. Regardless of origin, find the best quality olive oil that you can to create the most unforgettable result.
The finish for tomato bread is a sprinkle of salt. The best option is a grinder of sea salt. There are a variety of options available for these. For an enhanced option, offer several different types of sea salt.
My preferred method of serving pan con tomate is deconstructed. That is, toasted slices of the crusty bread sided by the prepared tomato, olive oil, and sea salt. This keeps the breads from getting soggy, and makes for a nice presentation.
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Easy to Make Tapas Tomato Bread
All ingredients
Instructions
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Slice bread into half inch slices. The bread slices should be thick enough that they stay soft in the center after you toast them under your broiler.
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Lay bread out onto a sheet pan and brush with olive oil.
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Preheat your oven broiler on high.
Toast bread slices lightly under broiler.
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Cut garlic cloves in half and rub each toasted bread slice with garlic.
Set aside.
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Slice tomato in half crosswise.
Squeeze out juice and seeds.
Rub tomato, cut side down, across the large side of a box grater.
This will remove the pulp, and if you are careful will leave the skin behind.
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If you are presenting a platter of pan con tomate as a tapa or appetizer, top each toasted bread slice with 1/2 ounce tomato pulp, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt.
To prevent the pan con tomate from getting soggy do not assemble until time of service.
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My preferred method is to offer all of the ingredients separately and allow my guests to create their own pan con tomate. This ensures a toasty bread slice that is not soggy, and you can offer a variety of sea salts for added interest.
