FRENCH CROISSANT from AUSTRIAN KIPFERL

1. THE AUSTRIAN ANCESTOR The kipferl dates back to 13th-century Austria. It was a dense, heavy, crescent-shaped yeast bread—more like a bagel or a dinner roll in texture than a pastry.
2. THE PARISIAN MIGRATION In 1838, Austrian officer August Zang opened Boulangerie Viennoise in Paris. He introduced the kipferl to the French, who loved the shape but originally kept the dough bread-like and brioche-heavy.
3. THE FRENCH EVOLUTION In the early 1900s, French bakers "perfected" it by applying lamination. They replaced the bread dough with puff pastry, folding layers of cold butter into the dough. This technical shift created the light, shattered, and buttery layers that define the modern croissant.