The Austrian Roots Of The Croissant

The croissant is a French pastry, but its origins are Austrian. The modern-day croissant is thought to be derived from the kipferl, a crescent-shaped pastry that dates back to the 13th century in Austria. The kipferl is denser and sweeter than the modern croissant and is often filled with nuts or other fillings. The French version of the kipferl was named for its crescent shape and was popularised in the early 1800s by Austrian baker August Zang, who founded a Viennese bakery in Paris.

The Austrian kipferl, the croissant's predecessor, dates back to the 13th century

The Austrian kipferl, the predecessor to the modern croissant, dates back to the 13th century. The kipferl, a German word meaning 'crescent', is a pastry that can be served plain or laced with nuts. The kipferl is also considered a form of rugelach, a Jewish pastry of Ashkenazic origin. Kipferl are denser and sweeter than modern croissants.

The kipferl is thought to have originated in Vienna, Austria, and is widely considered to be the ancestor of the French butter croissant. The kipferl is mentioned in a poem as one of the Christmas treats presented to Duke Leopold in 1227. Moon-shaped breads, meanwhile, date back even earlier.

The Austrian kipferl is also linked to the Ottoman siege of Vienna in 1683. According to popular lore, Viennese bakers working through the night heard the Turks as they tunnelled beneath the city during the invasion. They alerted the city's defenders, essentially saving Vienna from the Ottoman siege. To celebrate, the bakers created a pastry in the shape of a crescent moon, which also featured on the Ottoman flags.

However, the link between the kipferl and the Ottoman siege of 1683 has been disputed, as moon-shaped breads and cakes, including kipferl, were mentioned in poems and other texts for centuries before the attack.

The kipferl was introduced to France in the 19th century by Austrian-born baker August Zang, who founded a Viennese bakery in Paris in 1838 or 1839. Zang's bakery served Viennese specialties, including kipferl and the Vienna loaf. The French version of the kipferl was named for its crescent shape—in French, 'croissant'.

The kipferl was inspired by the crescent moon on the Ottoman flag

The kipferl, an Austrian crescent-shaped pastry, dates back to at least the 13th century in Austria. It is also considered a form of rugelach, a Jewish pastry of Ashkenazic origin. The kipferl is denser and sweeter than the modern croissant and can be made plain or with nuts or other fillings.

The kipferl is said to have originated in 1683 as a celebration of the Austrian victory over the Ottomans at the siege of Vienna. Legend has it that a baker, up early to make bread, saved the city when he heard the Turks tunnelling underneath and sounded the alarm. The kipferl's curved shape is said to mimic the crescent moon on the Ottoman flag, paying tribute to the spirit of a city that resisted a powerful invading force.

However, the kipferl existed long before the Ottoman siege of Vienna. A poem mentions it as one of the Christmas treats that Viennese bakers presented to Duke Leopold in 1227. Moon-shaped breads, in general, date back centuries earlier.

The croissant was likely introduced to France at a Paris bakery called Boulangerie Viennoise in the early 1800s. The bakery was founded by Austrian artillery officer August Zang and served Viennese specialties, including kipferl. The French version of the kipferl was named for its crescent shape, with the French word being "croissant".

August Zang founded a Viennese bakery in Paris in the 1830s

August Zang, an Austrian artillery officer, founded a Viennese bakery in Paris in the 1830s. The bakery, called Boulangerie Viennoise, was located at 92 Rue Richelieu on the Right Bank. It opened in 1838 or 1839 and quickly became popular, inspiring French imitators. The bakery served Viennese specialties, including the kipferl, which would become the French croissant, and the Vienna loaf.

Zang's knack for marketing through newspaper advertising and elaborate window displays attracted Parisians to his establishment to sample his native Viennese treats. He is also credited with introducing the Viennese steam oven, which became standard in French baking. This oven used moist hay to give the pastries a lustrous sheen.

Zang sold the bakery a few years later and returned to Austria, where he went on to pursue journalism and publishing. He founded Die Presse, a Viennese daily newspaper that still exists today, and became a wealthy press magnate.

Despite his later success, Zang's obituary in Die Presse made no mention of his time in Paris and his significant contribution to French baking. However, his ornate tomb in Vienna remains a tourist attraction.

The French made the croissant their own by using puff pastry

The croissant, a buttery, flaky, crescent-shaped pastry, is often considered a French staple. However, its origins lie in Austria, where it was known as the kipferl, dating back to at least the 13th century. The kipferl was brought to France in the 19th century by Austrian baker August Zang, who founded a Viennese bakery in Paris, serving kipferl and other Austrian specialties. The French version, however, was made flakier than the traditional Austrian sweets, using puff pastry.

Puff pastry, or pâte feuilletée levée, is a French innovation, and it is this technique that transformed the kipferl into the croissant as we know it today. The French version of the kipferl was named for its crescent shape, with the French word "croissant" meaning "crescent." This new pastry quickly became popular, inspiring French imitators, and it soon took root in its adopted land.

The earliest known recipe for the present-day croissant appears in a 1905 book, although the name "croissant" appears in a list of "fantasy or luxury breads" in 1853. The first recipe corresponding to the modern croissant, detailing both its shape and texture, was published in 1906 in Paris.

The process of making puff pastry involves layering the dough with butter, then rolling and folding it several times in succession before rolling it into a thin sheet. This technique, called laminating, results in a layered, flaky texture, which is characteristic of croissants.

By the early 20th century, the butter croissant made with puff pastry had almost completely replaced its Austrian predecessor. The French had embraced the croissant as their own, and it had become a staple of French breakfasts and a symbol of France itself.

The croissant became a global phenomenon in the late 20th century

The croissant's global popularity can be traced back to the late 20th century when the fast-food industry took this golden, flaky pastry global. But the journey to becoming a worldwide phenomenon began in the 19th century when the croissant was introduced to France.

The ancestor to the modern-day croissant was called the kipferl, which dates back to the 13th century in Austria and came in various shapes and sizes. In the 1830s, an Austrian artillery officer and entrepreneur, August Zang, founded a Viennese bakery in Paris, introducing the city to kipferl. The bakery, located at 92 Rue Richelieu, was named Boulangerie Viennoise after Zang's native Vienna and served many Austrian treats, including kipferl and the Vienna loaf.

Zang's Parisian version of kipferl was flakier than the traditional Austrian sweets, and Parisians began calling them croissants because of their crescent shape. The French word croissant directly translates to "crescent" in English. The popularity of Zang's bakery inspired imitators, and the French version of kipferl soon became a staple in France.

In the early 20th century, French bakers replaced the brioche dough of the kipferl with a yeast-leavened laminated dough, creating the modern croissant. The first recipe corresponding to the modern croissant was published in 1906 in Paris, in Colombié's Nouvelle Encyclopédie Culinaire. The development of factory-made, frozen, preformed but unbaked dough in the late 1970s further propelled the croissant's popularity. This allowed croissants to become a fast food that could be freshly baked by unskilled labour and sold in takeaway "croissanteries" across France.

The croissant's fame spread internationally, and it became a symbol of French cuisine and culture. In 1981, the baked goods corporation Sara Lee introduced a frozen croissant to America, and soon after, fast-food chains like Burger King and Arby's added croissant breakfast sandwiches to their menus. The croissant had become a global phenomenon, with people around the world enjoying its buttery, flaky layers, not realising its Austrian origins.

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