since 1888

Razava (ra-ZA-va) was a dark, nutritious bread born in Eastern Europe. It was made from hearty flour that kept more of the grain's natural goodness, and they said if you ate enough of it, you would become as strong as a horse. Henry Baldinger brought the recipe to St. Paul in 1888 and turned it into a dense rye at his family bakery on Carroll Avenue—just over a mile from our new home at Grand and St. Albans. 

While almost nobody remembers what true razava tasted like, the hearty, healthful bread embodies the characteristics baked into every loaf at Razava Bread Co. We bake wholesome sourdough breads, bagels, baguettes and flatbreads with complex flavors and textures that can be achieved only through patience and careful technique. Great bread takes time, and head baker Omri Zin-Tamir personifies and enhances the methods that made our namesake. 

We firmly believe that great bread is best enjoyed together, so take this as your formal, but relaxed, invitation to our table – we can’t wait to have you over.

omri zin-tamir

HEAD BAKER

Previously the founder of The Bakery on 22 Street, Omri's background includes an apprenticeship with master baker Richard Bourdon at Berkshire Mountain Bakery, and an MFA in sculpture. He has mastered the craft of naturally leavened breads, focusing on high-hydration doughs, short mixes, and long fermentations that yield complex flavors and textures, and increased digestibility. At Razava, Omri oversees our commitment to quality and craftsmanship.

Steve
baldinger

FOUNDER

Razava Bread Co. is the latest chapter in the Baldinger family’s St. Paul baking history, which dates back to 1888 and Steve’s great-grandfather Henry. Razava Bread Co. combines four generations of tradition with innovation, creating a space where the community can experience the kinds of exceptional, hand-crafted breads like those made by the legacy Baldinger Bakery, which stood nearby at 369 Carroll Avenue for nearly 60 years.

our journey

The path that led us from 1888 to 685 Grand Avenue.

After honing his craft at Fleischmann’s Vienna Bakery in New York, Henry Baldinger opens a bakery out of his St. Paul home, serving freshly baked artisan bread to the local community.

1901

After an apprenticeship at Berkshire Mountain Bakery in Massachusetts, Omri Zin-Tamir opens The Bakery on 22 St. from his Minneapolis home, selling long-fermented sourdoughs at markets across the Twin Cities.

1888

1920-

1940

Baldinger Bakery introduces a new product called razava bread—a dense rye-bran loaf celebrated for its digestive benefits. Razava gains attention for its health-focused qualities. 

1959

Baldinger Bakery moves to 369 Carroll Avenue—just over a mile from where Razava Bread Co. stands today. Over the next 58 years, this location serves as the heart of their business and family life. 

The bakery relocates to make way for the I-94 freeway. Business continues to grow at sites throughout St. Paul. But the desire to return to the original neighborhood remains strong.  

2022

2024

Omri Zin-Tamir and Steve Baldinger partner to open Razava Bread Co., returning old-world artisan bread to the neighborhood where this St. Paul baking story began.