Top 10 Spanish Breads (+ Traditional Recipes)

These authentic Spanish breads are so delicious! When most people think of Spanish foods, they picture gazpacho, paella, or an asada-type dish. 

They often overlook Spanish breads, but that’s a mistake that you won’t make again after browsing through this list of fantastic bread recipes. 

From sweet and cinnamony churros to tangy, herby slices of tomato bread, each of these Spanish breads has something about it that sets it apart from the rest. 

So whether you want a yummy biscuit-like bread to enjoy with your breakfast, need something filling and tasty for a mid-day snack, or like to pair something to pair with dinner, this list has it.

Let’s check it out! 

1. Mollette

The mollette is like a Spanish bagel. It’s soft and tastes fantastic when you toast it. It’s a traditional breakfast bread in many parts of Spain.

You can eat mollette as-is, but if you’re looking for a real jumpstart to your day, toast it and top it with tomatoes, cream cheese, scallions, chives, etc. 

They also lend themselves well to sweeter toppings, like fruit, berries, and sweet varieties of cream cheese. 

2. Pan con Tomate 

This recipe doesn’t tell you how to make bread, per see.

Instead, it uses day-old bread to create something even more delicious – pan con tomate, or tomato bread.

The bread is thick and crusty, and the topping is divine. Add a splash of lime juice for a bit of zestiness, some Spanish olive oil, and salt, and you’re all set. 

This tastes great by itself, but I sometimes like to serve it as a side dish with creamy soups, too.

3. Rustic Spanish Bread

With prep, resting, and baking time, this rustic Spanish bread takes a little over 2 hours to make, but the process is so simple that even novice bread bakers can do it. 

And it’s such gorgeous bread. It’s the kind of bread you see in television shows and bakery windows – a picture-perfect bread.

Furthermore, it has a light, soft texture and tastes fantastic.

To make it, you’ll need only the simplest ingredients: water, active dry yeast, bread flour, salt, olive oil, and cornmeal. 

The outside is only slightly crispy, and the inside is like biting into a fluffy white cloud.

Plus, if you follow the recipe as written, you’ll get two loaves of this beautiful bread.

4. Torrijas

Whether you call them torrijas or Spanish French toast, these sugar-coated treats are delectable. 

Of all the French toast recipes out there, it’s ironic that Spanish French toast is my favorite, but it is. It’s just so amazingly perfect. 

It strikes the perfect balance between too dry to be good and too soggy and syrupy to eat without a giant mess.

It also has a light vanilla flavor and is covered in cinnamon and sugar.

These torrijas are so good that you won’t even need to top them with anything else to make them the ideal breakfast meal.

Just grab one and eat it on the go – yummy and convenient.

5. Empanada Gallega

So, what makes an empanada gallega different from a plain empanada? The shape!

Empanada gallegas are more pie-shaped (either round, whole pies or individual square-shaped pies).

These are of the latter sort. (Picture an apple pie from McDonald’s. That’s how these look.)

The outside is crispy and golden-brown, but the inside is where all the flavor is. You can adjust the recipe to make your own savory filling. 

However, to make the recipe as-is, you’ll add onions, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes, paprika, tuna, eggs, and more. 

If you’re looking for a filling hand pie for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, this is the recipe for you. 

6. Spanish Flatbread

Spanish flatbread is crunchy, mild-flavored, and easily made from only six ingredients (flour, salt, sugar, water, yeast, and olive oil). 

It’s a healthier alternative to traditional bread or pizza dough, and because it has such a light flavor, you can top it however you like. 

You can smother it in pizza sauce and make mini-pizzas. You can top it with eggs and breakfast meats for a satisfying way to start your day or add anchovies!

7. Spanish Churros

This recipe for authentic Spanish churros is far superior to any you’ll find in the frozen section of your local grocery store. 

They have delightfully crispy-crunchy outsides, but the insides are soft, warm, and flavorful. 

They have the same cinnamon and sugar coating that you know and love, and this recipe even tells you how to make chocolate dipping sauce for a bit of extra decadence! 

And believe it or not, these are super simple to prepare. You shouldn’t need more than 20 minutes to make a dozen or more of them.

8. Pan De Horno

This five-ingredient Spanish bread is crusty, wonderfully soft on the inside, and perfectly yeasty.

Primarily because of the rise time, it takes about 4 hours or more to make, so be sure you don’t try to wait until the last minute to bake it. Still, it’s worth the wait. 

If you’re looking for the perfect complement to your dinner, pan de horno (“oven bread”) is the only recipe you’ll ever need. 

9. Spanish Sweet Milk Bread

If you’re looking for something sweeter, you can make this Spanish sweet milk bread in half the time it takes to whip up and bake the pan de horno. 

You’ll make it with milk, dry yeast, eggs, butter, sugar, white flour, and vegetable oil. It’s dense, hearty bread with a biscuit-like texture. 

People enjoy it plain, with butter, or topped with sugar, jelly, or marmalade.

If you’re looking for a new way to enjoy bread in the mornings, give this recipe a chance.

10. Pan Basico

Everything you need to know about this bread (and how simple it is to make) is right there in the name. 

Pan basico, or “basic bread,” is a basic white bread recipe suitable for any beginner baker.

You can shape the loaf into one large, circular loaf, a baguette, or two mini loaves.

Either way, it’s just as easy to make, requiring only seven ingredients and a little over an hour.

It’s everyday table bread, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t delicious. Just give it a try, and you’ll see precisely what I mean.