Pan Con Tomate (Spanish Tomato Bread)
on May 13, 2026
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If you gave me the choice between a recipe with 18 ingredients or one with just a few simple, quality ingredients, I’d choose plates like this Pan con Tomate every 👏 single 👏 time 👏. The smell and taste of the charred bread takes me right back to my childhood in Europe. My Bapche 👵🏼 would add a drizzle of good olive oil to a slice of bread and toast it over the flame of her wood burning stove. Then, she would top it with grated tomato & garlic, a pinch of salt, and a few leaves of basil or oregano (whichever she had on hand). And you? You’re just 5 ingredients, 10 minutes, and one plate grater away from a truly delicious moment 🍅🥖.
Key Takeaways
- Pan con tomate uses just 5 ingredients: sourdough, tomato, garlic, olive oil, and salt, making it a simple yet flavorful dish.
- You can prepare pan con tomate in only 10 minutes by grating tomatoes and garlic, toasting bread, and assembling.
- This dish bridges culinary worlds similar to Italian bruschetta, but uses grated tomatoes for a different texture and experience.
- For best results, choose high-quality, ripe ingredients, and slice the bread thick to prevent sogginess.
- Feel free to customize with toppings like prosciutto or cheeses, and serve it as part of a tapas spread.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Pan con Tomate
🖐️ Only 5 ingredients: Sourdough, tomato, garlic, olive oil, and salt – that’s it. With this few ingredients, quality is everything. This is Mediterranean minimalism at its best.
🔟 Ready in 10 minutes: Grate, drizzle, toast, and assemble. No cooking, no waiting. Perfect for when you need to eat NOW.
☀️ The plate grater: This simple technique gives you fine pieces of tomato and garlic that infuse together for incredible flavor.
🍅 It bridges culinary worlds: If you love Italian bruschetta, then you’ll love pan con tomate. Many, many cultures around the world make a variation of tomato bread – all equally delicious in their simplicity.
Pan con Tomate vs. Bruschetta – What’s the Difference?
Pan con tomate and bruschetta have similar ingredients, they just use different techniques when it comes to tomatoes 🍅. Both Italian Bruschetta and Greek Bruschetta have a diced tomato topping that is assembled on a crostini. While pan con tomate features grated tomato pulp that is spread onto the bread and absorbs into the crumb. Different textures, different eating experiences – both delicious 🤤.
Ingredients
Pan con tomate is a simple dish where ingredient quality MAKES the recipe. Choose the best quality you can find.
🥖 Bread: Choose a thick-cut, crusty bread that can handle tomato juice without getting soggy. Ciabatta, sourdough, and my No Knead Bread are all great options. Day old bread is traditional and holds up better than fresh – it also absorbs the tomato better.
🍅 Tomato: The ripest you can find – vine ripe or heirloom tomatoes work best.
🧄 Garlic: One large clove – fine-grated using a grater plate and tossed in with the grated tomato for max flavor infusion.
🫒 Olive oil: Use the best extra virgin olive oil you have – you will taste every bold drop.
🧂 Salt: A pinch of salt ties it all together and seasons the tomato perfectly. Use your salt of choice, like a flaky sea salt for added crunch.
Nonna’s Tip 🍞
Slice the sourdough at least ¾ inch thick and char until deeply crisp. A sturdy slice holds the tomato mixture without turning soggy.
Tips for Success
- Use very ripe tomatoes – Ripe tomatoes grate more easily because their cell walls have softened, releasing more juice and natural sweetness.
- Use a grater, not a knife – Grating breaks down the tomato flesh into a pulpy texture that spreads evenly across the bread and releases more flavor than chopping.
- Grate the garlic before the tomato – Garlic grips best on a dry, rough surface. Once the bread is wet with tomato, the garlic slides instead of absorbing into the toast.
- Finish with olive oil after assembly – That final drizzle isn’t just for flavor — the olive oil creates a light barrier that slows the bread from soaking up too much tomato juice too fast.
Variations and Substitutions
- Breads: I use sourdough, but you can use my Baguette Recipe 🥖 or No Knead Bread.
- Gluten-friendly: Use my No Knead Gluten Free Bread.
- Tomato variations: Any tomato 🍅 will work. I like vine ripe or heirloom because they have a nice pulp to juice ratio. Additionally you can use beefsteak, Roma, or really any variety you have on hand.
- Grater: I love my plate grater. But if you don’t have one on hand, then you can use a microplane or box grater on the finest grate.
- Toppings: Upgrade your pan con tomate with thin sliced prosciutto, anchovies, and cheeses like manchego 🧀 or burrata on top.
Best Served With
- A crusty Baguette or loaf of No Knead Bread
- A tapas spread alongside Hummus and Feta Cheese Olives
- Cheeses 🧀 like nutty manchego or indulgent burrata
- This fresh Panzanella Salad 🥗
More Tomato Recipes
Common Questions
Pan con tomate is Spanish for ‘bread with tomato.’ It’s a traditional Catalan dish made by rubbing ripe tomatoes and garlic onto toasted bread, then finishing with olive oil and salt. It originated as a way to revive stale bread and as become one of Spain’s most beloved tapas.
Both are bread+tomato dishes, just with a different technique. Bruschetta is bread topped with diced tomatoes, while pan con tomate uses grated tomato pulp that absorbs directly into the bread. Both are absolutely delicious!
Use a thick cut, crusty bread like sourdough, ciabatta, or No Knead Bread. The bread needs to be sturdy enough to hold the tomato juices without getting soggy. Day-old bread is traditionally used because it’s slightly drier and more absorbent.
The grated tomato pulp can be made a few hours ahead and stored in the fridge in a separate container. However, once assembled, pan con tomate should be enjoyed immediately. (The bread will get soggy if it sits too long.) For a party with tapas, set up a toast bar with all the components so guests can assemble their own.
Use the ripest, juiciest tomatoes you can find so they’ll be super spreadable. Vine-ripe and heirloom tomatoes work beautifully.
Yes! The toppings are all vegan – just be sure to check that your bread is vegan.
Pan con Tomate
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- 1 tomato
- 1 garlic clove
- pinch of salt
- a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Slice the sourdough and char until deeply golden with crisp edges, either directly over the flame of a gas stove, or in a cast iron pan over medium-high heat.
- Using a plate grater, grate the garlic clove first. Then grate the tomatoes over the garlic and mix together.
- Drizzle olive oil and salt and mix the tomatoes.
- Spoon the tomato-garlic mixture generously over the charred bread. Top with fresh basil or oregano. Serve immediately and enjoy :).
Nonna’s Notes
My Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
