The award was presented this Monday in Bilbao during the Bilbao Global Bakery Forum, after Tolosana reached the final stage of the 50 TOP Bakers of Spain 2026 competition. The Aragonese company had to defend its products before the jury and ultimately won one of the three stars awarded by the competition.
For Tolosana, the recognition has a special significance because Pan Almud is not a recent creation prepared for the competition. It is a product that forms part of the company’s history and has been coming out of its bakeries for two decades.
A LOAF THAT HAS BEEN PART OF TOLOSANA FOR 20 YEARS
Pan Almud was created approximately 20 years ago and has since become one of Tolosana’s signature bakery products. Its name refers to Almudévar, the town in Huesca where the history of this family business began.
Pan Almud has been made for 20 years. Photo: @trenzadealmudevar
The loaf is characterized by a thick, crisp crust and an airy, moist and glossy crumb. Its preparation uses 20% sourdough starter, while the dough reaches 80% hydration. Then comes one of the recipe’s essential elements: time. Fermentation lasts around 18 hours before the bread goes into the oven and is baked directly on a stone hearth. The result is a loaf with an intense aroma and a slight acidic note, made without resorting to fast processes.
This way of working was precisely one of Tolosana’s arguments during its participation in the competition, where the quality of the bread was assessed based on its characteristics and the professionals’ execution.
THE SECOND BREAD TOLOSANA BROUGHT TO BILBAO
The Aragonese company did not attend the final with Pan Almud alone. The other product submitted was Barra Tolosana, a loaf that is not yet on sale and that the company plans to add to its stores in January 2027.
Its preparation starts with a 24-hour biga and combines this preferment with sourdough starter. The loaf is shaped entirely by hand, following the same slow-working approach that characterizes the rest of the company’s bakery offering. The competition therefore also served as a testing ground for a product that will soon reach Tolosana’s customers.
FOUR GENERATIONS AMONG DOUGH AND OVENS
The Silver Star comes after several decades of work by a family business that remains committed to traditional production. Tolosana currently has stores in Almudévar, Huesca and Zaragoza, combining breadmaking with pastry and chocolate making.
Its best-known product remains Trenza de Almudévar, created in 1981, but over the years the company has expanded its range of breads and pastry products. The recognition received in Bilbao adds a new award to that history and places a product created in a town in Huesca among those rated most highly by the national competition.
