The Croissant's Roots Lie in Austria, but France Gave It Its Character
The modern croissant is a French specialty, but its predecessor is the Austrian crescent-shaped roll known as the kipferl. The story of its origin is one of culinary ideas travelling from one country to another.
Whether the croissant is a French invention cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. The modern croissant is indeed a French specialty, but its predecessor is the Austrian kipferl, a crescent-shaped roll that existed well before today's croissant. Similar pastries are mentioned in records dating back to the 13th century.
French technique, Austrian tradition
The decisive step toward the modern croissant is considered to be a French baking method: yeast dough is layered with butter, producing a distinctly flaky, airy structure. It can therefore be said that the croissant's roots are Austrian, while its modern character was shaped by France.
In the 19th century, the Viennese baking tradition reached France. An important figure was the Austrian entrepreneur August Zang, who opened a Viennese bakery in Paris in 1838. There, the French could become acquainted with Viennese bread and the kipferl. After the bakery closed, a number of imitators appeared in Paris, and Viennese pastry gradually became part of French breakfast culture.
The Ottoman crescent legend
A popular legend holds that the crescent shape was created to celebrate Austria's victory over the Ottomans. There is no historical evidence for this. Moreover, the kipferl existed before the famous siege of Vienna in 1683. The tale of bakers who heard tunnels being dug beneath the city walls and then baked a roll in the shape of the Ottoman crescent should be regarded as legend rather than documented fact.
How kipferl differs from the croissant
The Austrian kipferl recipe uses a rich yeast dough with butter, but the butter is mixed into the dough rather than folded between layers. The traditional kipferl is usually denser and resembles a simple enriched yeast roll.
In France, the kipferl turned from an Austrian roll into a distinctly layered, buttery, crisp and airy breakfast staple.
The author says the further development of the croissant in France, including the butter and chocolate layers, will be covered in next week's column.
