Tomato bread is undoubtedly one of the emblematic recipes of Catalan cuisine. Some people have it only for breakfast, while others have it to accompany cold cuts and cheeses, but what never changes is the simplicity of its ingredients: bread, tomato, and extra virgin olive oil. Its origin is linked to traditional Catalan “Trash Cooking”. That is why at My Way, we serve this recipe with an excellent crispy “coca” bread.”
The origins
Although it may seem like a classic Mediterranean recipe with thousands of years of history, it is not true. The reason is quite simple: one of the main ingredients, the tomato, did not become popular in Spain until the 18th century, as it was from America.
The first references to tomato bread date back to 1884. It is believed that there was a great tomato harvest in Catalonia that year. And here, as we don’t like to waste anything, farmers started using tomatoes to soften stale bread. To do this, they crushed mature tomatoes onto the bread.
Tomato bread recipe
Okay, it may seem very simple, but it has its peculiarities. For example, in Catalonia traditionally the tomato was crushed against the bread. In other places, such as Murcia, the tomato is grated and served on top of the bread.
Step 1
We cut a slice of bread and lightly toasted it.
Step 2
Take a garlic clove and rub it on the freshly toasted bread.
Step 3
To make the bread more flavoursome, take a very ripe tomato and cut it in half. Rub the tomato on the bread, ensuring that only the skin is left in your hand.
Step 4
Season with a piece of salt and extra virgin olive oil.
Ingredients
Quality bread
To make this recipe, two types of bread are usually used: "pagès" bread or "coca" bread. At My Way, we use "coca" bread, which is characterized by a crispy and thin crust, and a light crumb.
Tomatoes
The ideal tomato for this recipe is one that is very ripe, where when you touch it, you feel that the interior is almost liquid. The reason for this is that, in contact with the hard bread, the tomato will be completely absorbed into the toast.
Extra virgin olive oil
The emblematic ingredient of Mediterranean cuisine cannot be missed in this Catalan recipe. It is important that the oil is of great quality in order to enhance the flavor.
Taste our tomato bread at My Way
Combine it with our Iberian ham or our platter of cold cuts and cheeses.
