The battle of breakfast: Cornetto vs. croissant delight
Although often confused because of their shape, cornetti and croissants are two different pastries, each beloved in their country of origin. For Italians, the perfect breakfast includes a cornetto with a cup of coffee, while the French prefer a croissant spread with apricot jam. Which of these pastries is worth trying?
Crescent-shaped pastries have been baked since ancient times and were once offered as sacrifices to the Moon goddess, Selene. Over the centuries, more of these specialties emerged, with monks in monasteries excelling in their preparation. A crescent-shaped roll was described by the 17th-century Austrian monk Abraham a Sancta Clara, noting that "the moon in the first quarter shines like a kipferl."
The kipferl is considered the prototype of today's pastries enjoyed by both Italians and French. Its recipe reached Italy at the end of the 17th century, thanks to the flourishing trade between Vienna and the Venetian Republic, after which it spread across the country. Over time, the recipe was modified, giving birth to the cornetto.
The story of the croissant is similar. In 1839, Austrian August Zang opened the bakery La Boulangerie Viennoise in Paris. Among its various delicacies was the kipferl, which was especially appreciated by local gourmets. French bakers began experimenting with the recipe due to its popularity, and in 1915, pastry chef Sylvain Claudius Goy was the first to document the croissant recipe.
What distinguishes these Italian and French pastries? The cornetto is softer and sweeter, often filled with custard, jam, or honey, while the croissant is crispy and distinctly buttery and typically does not include fillings.
What's the answer to the initial question? Everyone has to decide for themselves, ideally by directly comparing freshly baked pastries made from these recipes.
Croissant – recipe
Place 7 ounces of cold butter between sheets of baking paper and form it into a flat square with an 8-inch side. Refrigerate it.
Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, combine 18 ounces of flour, 2 ounces of sourdough starter, 0.2 ounces of dry yeast, 5–6 tablespoons of sugar, and a teaspoon of salt. Add just under one cup of warm water and an organic egg. Knead the mixture by hand or with a stand mixer until a smooth dough forms, separating from your hands. Cover with a cloth and refrigerate for an hour.
Next, roll the dough into a square with a 20-inch side. Place the cold butter in the center. Fold the edges over, pressing to remove air. Roll out the dough and fold it into three parts, removing air between layers each time. Wrap it again and refrigerate for half an hour.
Repeat the entire process, called laminating—roll out, fold into three parts, turn 90 degrees, roll out again, fold, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Repeat once more.
After removing the dough from the refrigerator, roll it into a rectangle and divide it into eight triangles. Roll each triangle into a crescent shape and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a cloth and let the crescents rise for an hour and a half.
Preheat the oven to 355 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush the crescents with beaten egg twice and bake for about 15 minutes until they are dark golden.
Cornetto – recipe
As mentioned earlier, Italians often fill their beloved pastries. Here is the version with chocolate.
In warm (but not hot) milk (half a cup), dissolve 1 ounce of yeast and a teaspoon of sugar. Add 18 ounces of flour, 5 tablespoons of sugar, vanilla sugar, half a cup of milk, and 0.7 ounces of melted butter. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic, then roll it into a rectangle. Spread 2.5 ounces of butter over 2/3 of the dough's surface. Wrap it so that the dry part covers the moist part, then place the last third on top. This way, you'll create a rectangle, which you should slightly roll out and refrigerate for an hour.
Repeat the process—roll out the dough and wrap it into three parts, refrigerate, and repeat three times. Leave the dough in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, roll out the dough, cut it into triangles, fill with chocolate pieces, and roll into crescent shapes. Leave them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for half an hour. Bake at 355 degrees Fahrenheit for 20–25 minutes.
