Summertime is tomato season and rather than a bread recipe, here is a suggestion for something delicious to do with your existing artisan style crusty breads—any bread that can be sliced and toasted up nice and crunchy. You can make pa amb tomàquet (bread with tomato), an iconic dish from Catalonia that has a perfect balance of garlic, tomato, olive oil, and salt. It’s one of the two baked goods I remember most fondly from when I lived in Barcelona as a teen. The other is gofres (waffles) with chocolate, which my friends and I would eat in the early morning hours after dancing in discotecas.
This bread is so symbolic of Catalunya that in other parts of Spain, it’s often referred to as pan catalán or Catalan bread. Unlike Italian bruschetta, Catalan tomato bread has no chunks. The toasted bread is coated in the essense of garlic, followed by a thin layer of juice-pulp from a fresh, acidic tomato, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. It is easy to make, not messy to eat, and shockingly delicious.
The video below demonstrates how to prepare Catalan tomato bread: pa amb tomàquet.
In restaurants, you might find pa amb tomàquet served with the components separated for you to assemble. The tomato is grated and served in a small bowl, whereas at home you might simply cut the tomato in half and rub it on the bread as you do with the halved garlic clove. Note that I included skin in my tomato bread because I like the color and the dietary fiber.
Catalan tomato bread from a restaurant in Madrid. Photo credit: Emilia Clapp
Catalan Tomato Bread (Pa amb Tomàquet)
Catalan tomato bread is a fantastic way to enjoy bread and summer tomatoes. Eat it on its own or serve with cured meats, tinned fish, or roasted vegetables.
Ingredients
- 4-8 slices of toasted artisan style bread, pan de cristal, ciabatta, or baguettes
- 1 garlic clove, cut in half but not peeled to be less slippery and for aroma-free fingers
- 1-2 juicy, sweet-acidic tomatoes to cut in half or grate
- 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4-8 pinches of salt to sprinkle on the bread
Instructions
- Toast up the bread slices until they have some crisp.
- Rub garlic on each slice—to taste.
- Spread the grated tomato on the bread or rub the bread with the open face of a halved tomato.
- Drizzle with olive oil, using a spoon or sprayer
- Sprinke with a pinch of salt.
