Toast or grill the bread until the edges are crisp and golden but the centre still has some give.
3–4 min
While the bread is still hot, rub the cut side of the garlic lightly over each slice once or twice.
1 min
Halve the tomatoes across the equator. Grate the cut faces on the coarse side of a box grater into a bowl, discarding the skin left in your hand.
3 min
Spoon the grated tomato and its juice evenly over the toast. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
1 min
Cut into pieces if desired and serve straight away.
Ripe tomatoes at room temperature have the fullest aroma and cleanest acidity — chilling dulls both. Grating the flesh gives an even, juicy layer that soaks into crisp toast without the extra liquid whole slices can shed. Garlic rubbed on hot bread releases its perfume into the crumb with almost no bite, so the tomato stays forward. Plenty of good olive oil carries the fruit and ties the topping to the toast.
Use very ripe beefsteak or large vine tomatoes; under-ripe fruit will taste flat and sharp. Toast the bread until crisp at the edges but not brittle throughout — it needs to absorb tomato and oil. Rub the garlic gently once or twice; too much raw garlic will dominate. Assemble just before serving so the bread does not go soggy.
Rub the cut face of a halved tomato directly on the toast instead of grating — more traditional in some Catalan kitchens, slightly less even. Add a pinch of flaky salt at the table. A few anchovy fillets or a drizzle of sherry vinegar are optional; keep the reference version tomato-garlic-oil only.
Not suitable for making ahead. Assemble and eat immediately.
