What's The Best Bread For A Po' Boy Sandwich?

Do you ever wish your lunchtime sandwiches were a bit more hearty and filling? While you can certainly give peanut butter and jelly sandwiches a bold flavor boost with miso paste, there's no guarantee this combo keeps you full until dinnertime. For an extra-satisfying option, you need a warm and savory po' boy. Considering po' boys are typically stuffed with a variety of hefty fillings, such as fried seafood, meatballs, and roast beef, you need the right bread for the job.

Thankfully, Eric Cook, executive chef and owner of restaurants Gris-Gris and Saint John in New Orleans, Louisiana, kindly and exclusively offered his expert opinion on the matter to Chowhound. Cook states, "in New Orleans, the bread is just as important as what's inside when it comes to po' boys. We only use Leidenheimer French bread." A French-style bread with decent crust and a soft interior, Leidenheimer French bread is made exclusively at Leidenheimer Bakery in New Orleans, Louisiana.

When you consider the most iconic sandwich in every state, po' boys tend to be quite popular in Louisiana and Mississippi. During the Great Depression, traditional French bread was tailored to hold a more uniform, rectangular shape to feed striking streetcar workers. Ultimately, Leidenheimer French bread became the official bread for po' boy sandwiches; it's soft, yet sturdy enough to hold a decent amount of warm and savory ingredients from one end to the other.

Unfortunately, finding Leidenheimer bread outside of New Orleans can be a challenge. However, one variety serves as an ideal swap. Believe it or not, the only bread you ever need for a perfect bánh mì sandwich happens to be a worthwhile substitute for Leidenheimer bread outside of Louisiana. Vietnamese bánh mì bread is similar to classic po' boy bread due to its light, airy texture and extra-crisp crust.

Eric Cook concurs, suggesting "a good local baked bread will do if you get in a pinch." Luckily, Vietnamese and Cuban bakeries may have exactly the type of bread you need to craft the perfect po' boy at home. If you only have sandwich-style shops near you, simply ask if you can buy a few rolls separately. If you don't have any international bakeries in your neighborhood, you can also use supermarket hoagie rolls. To achieve a similar crust to Leidenheimer, heat the rolls in a medium oven until crisp. As you consider available options, never include the best and worst varieties of store-bought white bread in your selection; you can be left with a soggy, unappealing sandwich. That being said, French baguettes aren't a good alternative either; baguettes' extra-hard crust and hollowed-out interior don't match the crispy-yet-soft structure of traditionally stuffed po' boy sandwiches.