Croissants and pains au chocolat share a common history, between Viennese heritage and French genius. Born from a foreign dough, they were adopted, transformed, and then elevated to the status of national symbols. True stars of bakery windows, they are now as deeply rooted in French culinary heritage as the baguette.
Whether accompanied by a strong coffee or hot chocolate, these two pastries will continue to make Parisian mornings crisp and crunchy. Let's take a look back at their history and origins!
Contrary to what one might think, croissants and pains au chocolat are not purely French creations. Their origins date back to the 17th century in Vienna, Austria. This is where the Kipferl appeared, a small croissant-shaped bread, often sweet, sometimes filled, but made with a non-flaky yeast dough.
The most famous legend has it that after the victory over the Ottomans during the siege of Vienna in 1683, Viennese bakers created a pastry in the shape of a crescent moon, the symbol of the Ottoman Empire. It was a way of "eating the enemy" with irony. As appealing as this anecdote may be, it remains difficult to prove historically.
The turning point came in Paris in 1839, with the opening of the Boulangerie Viennoise by Auguste Zang, an Austrian officer. He introduced Viennese specialties, including kipferl. These products quickly became a big hit with Parisians, who discovered new textures and shapes of sweet bread.
It was at this time that these recipes began to be adapted using French techniques. Parisian bakers gradually replaced brioche dough with a lighter, crispier butter-based puff pastry. The croissant as we know it today is therefore a Franco-Austrian creation, born of an imported tradition that was then reworked locally.
The pain au chocolat, often considered the croissant's "cousin," has undergone a similar evolution. Inspired by the Viennese Schokoladencroissant, it was also introduced in Paris during the 19th century. Originally, it was a brioche dough filled with chocolate. Here again, the French version replaced the dough with puff pastry and standardized the filling with two bars of dark chocolate.
Its rectangular shape, flaky texture, and simplicity make it a very popular product, both for breakfast and as a snack. Its name varies depending on the region: pain au chocolat in most of France, chocolatine in the southwest, a word attested since the early 20th century.
Today, croissants and pains au chocolat have become staples of French bakeries, despite their foreign origins. They are among the best-selling products in artisan bakeries, alongside baguettes and flans.
These pastries have also been given many modern twists: filled croissants (almonds, praline, pistachio), revisited pains au chocolat (filled, rolled, revisited in cruffin form), not to mention their presence on the shelves of renowned pastry chefs and bakers who are boldly reinventing them!
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Where to eat a good butter croissant in Paris? Our top addresses
Where to eat a good pain au chocolat in Paris? Our top spots
