Spanish Bread for Tapas: Pan con aceite y ajo (Hot bread with olive oil & garlic)
Read about the Spanish bread & make the hot bread with olive oil & garlic recipe
Spanish bread, pan con aceite y ajo, hot bread with olive oil & garlic
Spanish bread – In Spain, to eat a meal, or even a tapa, without bread is almost unthinkable. Even Chinese restaurants serve bread. Bread is widely consumed alongside almost every meal.
“Si no hay pan, no hay comida” is a famous saying in Spain. It means, “Without bread it’s not a meal.” That’s how important bread is to the Spanish diet.
In Spain, traditional bread or pan is a long loaf, similar to the French baguette but wider and shorter, generally called “barra” and many other different names along the country like “pistola” or “bastón“.
One can buy it freshly made every morning in almost every supermarket or traditional bakeries called Panaderías, where there is a large assortment of bread.
Importance of bread in Spain
The importance of bread in the history of Spanish eating
The importance of bread in the history of Spanish eating is reflected in its use as an ingredient in the national cuisine. Cooking with bread represents almost a culinary subgenre in itself.
Not many people are aware, that there are several types of bread from Spain that have the title Denominacion de Origen.
This title is awarded to several regional products, among them wine being especially popular.
The fact of having the title Denominacion de Origen shows how unique and valuable a product is and in Spain, there are four kinds of bread that have been honoured with such a status.
Traditional Spanish Bread
The traditional Spanish bread is known as pan basico.
The traditional Spanish bread is known as pan basico. This basic bread is prepared using the regular ingredients like white flour, warm water, active dry yeast, granulated sugar, salt, egg, and unbleached white flour.
The flour and water ratios are varied according to the weather conditions. The dough is prepared by combining the ingredients and baked in a regular oven and is either shaped like baguette or barra.
Pan basico is served sliced.
Regional specialties in traditional baking can provide some of the nicest surprises in any gastronomic tour of Spain, especially in the south, in Andalusia.
Andalusian Bread
A traditional product of Andalusian gastronomy
Andalusian bread is one of the basic elements of the traditional Mediterranean diet. A traditional product of Andalusian gastronomy, it’s a basic ingredient of breakfasts and snacks.
It is also a star product in tapas in bars, restaurants and refreshment stalls in Andalusia.
The mollete, a soft, flat wheat flour bun from the town of Antequera (Málaga), is now found over a wide area of Andalusia and beyond, making it a popular choice for everything.
Pan cateto bread or rustic bread, along with Antequera mollete, are two of the most popular types of Andalusian bread. Pan cateto is also known as town bread.
It is a loaf that is keeps well for several days in a row. It has a hard crust, with a very low level of hydration and is prepared with a type of flour called the “hard flour”.
Ingredients for pan con aceite y ajo recipe (hot bread with olive oil and garlic recipe)
Ingredients for pan con aceite y ajo (hot bread with olive oil & garlic)
Spanish country bread is excellent, and many Andalusian villages still boast a village baker to supply the most important staple of rural diet.
Close textured and always creamy white, with crispy brown crust, the bread is usually sourdough. Each batch is raised with a starter from day before.
This plus the precise mix and grind of the flour used, and still in some cases the wood used to heat the oven gives an individual flavour to the product of different bakers.
Such a bread is sold by weight because the value for money is of the essence. Bread with garlic and oil is the favourite Andaluz breakfast and provides the simplest of tapas.
Just the perfect basic materials are all that are required.
People are including garlic and olive oil in their daily diet, allowing them to enjoy the benefits of these two wonderful ingredients.
Patients with thyroid, heart, hypertension and skin conditions turn to these two foods with surprising results. Olive oil also reduces the pungent smell and taste of garlic.
Raw olive oil is a natural food with many nutritional and healing properties and qualities.
It relieves pain, prevents mental deterioration, has anticancer properties, is an excellent ally against diabetes, strengthens the immune system, lowers blood pressure & controls cholesterol.
Pan con aceite y ajo recipe | Hot bread with olive oil and garlic recipe
Ingredients
- 500 gram Spanish Bread Country bread or Rustic Bread (Pan cateto)
- 2 Piece Garlic Cloves Slice in half
- 6 Tablespoon Olive Oil Extra Virgin
Instructions
- Warm the rustic bread (pan cateto) in the oven.
- Cut it in thick slices & rub each slice with the sliced garlic
- Trickle warm olive oil on each slice.
Notes
- The success of pan con aceite y ajo recipe or hot bread with olive oil and garlic recipe really lies in the quality of the bread: choose one with a firm crust and a little crumb.
- Try and use the bread from the previous day, so it is perfect to take advantage of that bread that has become aged.
- If you are not in Spain, you won't be able to lay your hands on rustic bread or pan cateto, but you can use any of your favourite sourdough bread.
- You can mash the garlic with add extra virgin olive oil and brush the upper part of each slice of bread. In fact, you can add green herbs & cheese to it too.
FINALLY, TO SUM IT UP
Spanish Bread for Tapas: Pan con aceite y ajo (Hot bread with olive oil & garlic)
Spanish bread, pan con aceite y ajo, hot bread with olive oil & garlic
In Spain, to eat a meal, or even a tapa, without bread is almost unthinkable. Even Chinese restaurants serve bread. Bread is widely consumed alongside almost every meal.
“Si no hay pan, no hay comida” is a famous saying in Spain. It means, “Without bread it’s not a meal.” That’s how important bread is to the Spanish diet.
In Spain, traditional Spanish bread or pan is a long loaf, similar to the French baguette but wider and shorter, generally called “barra” and many other different names along the country like “pistola” or “bastón“.
One can buy it freshly made every morning in almost every supermarket or traditional bakeries called Panaderías, where there is a large assortment of bread.
STAY CONNECTED
If you like this article, you can let us know in the comments below or on social media using #gosumitup and tag me @gosumitup. I am always happy to read your feedback and if you liked the dish or if you made the dish. :)
Better still, take a picture and post it on Instagram and tag us as #gosumitup
Connect direct – You can also connect with me directly on my Instagram and Facebook or on Pinterest.
And, keep visiting us for more of such awesomeness. Do bookmark gosumitup.com into your web browser now or simply subscribe to our browser notifications.
Disclaimer
This article is for general information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition/s.
GoSumItUp.com has used all reasonable care in compiling the information but offers no warranty as to its accuracy or its use in any possible form.
Consult a doctor or other health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of any medical condition/s. For more details please refer to our disclosure policy.
