New Orleans' Iconic Po'boy Bread Comes From This 130-Year-Old German Bakery

Leidenheimer Baking Company has been supplying the perfect po'boy bread to New Orleans restaurants for over a century.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 6:10pm

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print of a single, crusty po'boy sandwich roll repeated in a tight grid pattern, conceptually representing the iconic status of this everyday food item in New Orleans culture.Leidenheimer Baking Company's iconic po'boy bread has become an essential ingredient in New Orleans' culinary identity over the past century.New Orleans Today

Leidenheimer Baking Company, a family-run bakery in New Orleans, has been baking the signature French-style bread used for po'boy sandwiches since 1896. Founded by German immigrant George Leidenheimer, the bakery's recipe and technique for achieving the ideal crispy crust and light, airy interior has made it the go-to supplier for restaurants serving authentic po'boys in the city.

Why it matters

Po'boy sandwiches are a quintessential part of New Orleans' culinary identity, and Leidenheimer's has become an institution for providing the essential foundation - the perfect po'boy bread - that has kept this local tradition alive for over a century.

The details

Leidenheimer's loaves are made to be uniformly thick on both ends, unlike tapered French baguettes, ensuring every slice can evenly hold sandwich fillings without getting soggy. The bakery's secret is in its long, natural fermentation process and careful adjustments to bake times based on New Orleans' notoriously humid weather to achieve the signature crispy crust and light, airy interior.

  • Leidenheimer Baking Company was founded in 1896 by German immigrant George Leidenheimer.
  • For over 130 years, the bakery has been supplying po'boy bread to New Orleans restaurants.

The players

Leidenheimer Baking Company

A family-run bakery in New Orleans that has been baking the signature French-style bread used for po'boy sandwiches since 1896.

George Leidenheimer

The German immigrant who founded Leidenheimer Baking Company in 1896 and started baking the light French-style bread that became the standard for po'boy sandwiches in New Orleans.

William Whann

The fifth-generation owner and director of operations at Leidenheimer Baking Company, who explained the bakery's careful process for adjusting bake times to account for New Orleans' humidity.

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What they’re saying

“We have to put a considerably harder bake on our products during the hotter months because the New Orleans humidity will soften the bread's signature crust.”

— William Whann, Fifth-generation owner and director of operations, Leidenheimer Baking Company

The takeaway

Leidenheimer Baking Company's 130-year-old recipe and technique for po'boy bread has become an essential part of New Orleans' culinary identity, demonstrating how a family-run business can preserve a local tradition and iconic food culture over generations.