{{short description|Crescent-shaped bread roll}} {{Infobox food | name = Kipferl | image = Kifli.jpg | caption = Two Kipferl, the left one salted | image_alt = Two crescent-shaped bread rolls on a white plate | type = Bread roll | alternate_name = | country = | region = Europe | creator = | course = Breakfast, coffee break | served = Warm or room temperature | main_ingredient = Wheat flour | variations = | calories = | other = |no_commons=true }}
'''Kipferl''', '''kifli''', '''kiflice''', '''kifle''' or '''cornuri''' is a traditional yeast bread roll that is rolled and formed into a crescent before baking.
It is a common type of bread roll throughout much of central Europe and nearby countries, known by several names. It is thought to be the inspiration for the French croissant, which has a very similar shape but is made with a different type of dough.
Stale kipfel{{which|date=August 2024}} are used to make a sweet bread pudding called Kipfelkoch.<ref name=":2" />
== Names == {{More citations needed section|date=March 2025}} The roll is called: *''Kipferl'' in Austrian German<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bakersmaison.com.au/about-us/blog/the-history-of-the-croissant|title=The history of the croissant|website=www.bakersmaison.com.au|language=en-gb|access-date=1 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101051510/https://www.bakersmaison.com.au/about-us/blog/the-history-of-the-croissant|archive-date=1 January 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> **''küpfel'' or a Meidlinger roll in Vienna<ref name=":1" /> *''kipfl'' in German speaking South Tyrol Italy<ref name=":1" /> *''kifli'' in Hungarian *''kifla'' / кифла (pl. ''kifle'' / кифле or ''kiflice'' / кифлице) in Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://glosbe.com/|title=Kifla in English, translation, Serbo Croatian-English Dictionary|website=Glosbe|language=en|access-date=1 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224121219/https://glosbe.com/|archive-date=24 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> *кифла [''kifla''] in Bulgarian *кифла [''kifla''] in Macedonian *''kifle'' in Albanian *''giffel'' in Danish<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://glosbe.com/|title=Giffel in English, translation, Danish-English Dictionary|website=Glosbe|language=en|access-date=1 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224121219/https://glosbe.com/|archive-date=24 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> and Swedish *''rogal'' or ''rogalik'' (little horn) in Polish *''rohlík'' in Czech<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.food.com/recipe/czech-rohlik-roll-baked-in-oven-476507|title=Czech Rohlik (Roll) Baked in Oven Recipe - Food.com|website=www.food.com|access-date=1 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101052540/https://www.food.com/recipe/czech-rohlik-roll-baked-in-oven-476507|archive-date=1 January 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> *''rožok'' in Slovak<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://glosbe.com/|title=Rožok in English, translation, Slovak-English Dictionary|website=Glosbe|language=en|access-date=1 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224121219/https://glosbe.com/|archive-date=24 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> *рогалик [''rogalik''] in Russian *рогалик [''rohalyk''] in Ukrainian *''rogljiček'' or kifelc in Slovene *''corn'' in Romanian *''horn'' (horn) in Norwegian *''Hörnchen'' (little horn) in German<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.woerterbuchnetz.de/DWB?lemma=kipfel|title=Kipfel|last1=Grimm|first1=Jacob|last2=Grimm|first2=Wilhelm|website=Deutsches Wörterbuch|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101200005/http://woerterbuchnetz.de/DWB/?lemma=kipfel|archive-date=1 January 2020|access-date=1 January 2020}}</ref>
In Old High German, ''Kipfa'' means "carriage stanchion" and refers to the stanchions or "horns" of a cart.<ref name=":2" /> In the 13th century, that usage referred to a bread shape of pagan origin.<ref name=":2" />
The Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovenian, Ukrainian, and Russian names derive as diminutives from the Slavic word ''rogal'' or ''rohel'' ("horned") which in turn derives from "rog/roh" ("horn/protrusion").<ref name="Rejzek">Jiří Rejzek: ''Český etymologický slovník'', LEDA, Voznice, 2001, "rohlík", "roh"</ref> Some other languages use a simple translation ("horn", "cornulet").
The similarity between the words "rohalyk" or "rohlík" and the English word "roll" is coincidental; the words are not related by origin. The Slavic root "rog" can be hypothetically associated with the German verb "ragen" ("to protrude").<ref name="Rejzek" />
==Background== Kipferl is a traditional yeasted bread rolled into a crescent shape. The Austrian {{Interlanguage link|kipferl|de|Kipferl}} is a small wheat roll with pointed ends.<ref name=":1" /> The 17th-century Austrian monk Abraham a Sancta Clara described the roll as crescent-shaped, writing "the moon in the first quarter shines like a kipfl", and noted there were Kipferl in various forms: "vil lange, kurze, krumpe und gerade kipfel" ("many long, short, crooked and straight kipfel").<ref name=":1" />
Breads or pastries in the shape of a crescent moon are believed to have been served in ancient times as offerings to the goddess of the moon, Selene.<ref name=":2" /> The shape is also reminiscent of horns; both are associated with ancient symbolism and considered the oldest surviving pastry shape.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7MfvT_NOdHsC&q=kipfel&pg=PA5|title=August Zang and the French Croissant: How Viennoiserie Came to France|last=Chevallier|first=Jim|date=5 October 2009|isbn=978-1-4486-6784-0|pages=3–7|publisher=Chez Jim |language=en}}{{Better source needed|reason=Self-published|date=January 2023}}</ref><ref name=":2" />
A list of foods eaten in a 10th-century convent includes ''panis lunatis'', described as a small, crescent-shaped roll often eaten during fasts.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Benedictiones Ad Mensa Ekkehardi Monachi|last=Keller|first=Ferdinand|publisher=The Archeological Journal|year=1864|location=London|pages=352}}, cited in Chevallier (2009) p4.</ref>
The Kipferl has been documented in Austria to at least 1227 when they were recorded in Babenberg-ruled Vienna as chipfen:<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bmnt.gv.at/land/lebensmittel/trad-lebensmittel/speisen/kipfel.html|title=Kipfel, bmnt.gv.at|website=www.bmnt.gv.at|access-date=1 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101181141/https://www.bmnt.gv.at/land/lebensmittel/trad-lebensmittel/speisen/kipfel.html|archive-date=1 January 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Rp|4}}
{{Blockquote|text=dô brâchten im die pecken chipfen und weiʒe flecken,
weiʒer dann ein hermelein. |sign=|source=Jans der Enikel}}
In Austria, the Kipferl is formally recognized by the government as a traditional food.<ref name=":2" /> According to the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism, Kipferl were probably a traditional monastery roll baked for Easter.<ref name=":2" /> They are described as crescent-shaped rolls made of yeast wheat dough in a variety of shapes and as being popular for coffee breaks and breakfasts, particularly in Vienna.<ref name=":2" />
The Kipferl likely inspired the similarly shaped French croissant, which is made from a viennoiserie.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />
=== Origin myths === A common culinary myth claims that the Kipferl was invented in Vienna after or during the siege of the city by Ottoman Turks.<ref name=":2" /> This may be in error. The rumor may have changed over time, from a story that the bakers made Kipferl in honor of the victory, which tends to point to a similar story about the victory in Buda.
Another story claims when Christian forces freed Buda from Ottoman occupation in 1686, the bakers of the town celebrated the victory the next day by selling freshly baked bread rolls made into a crescent shape.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}} This, however, raises the question of why would the bakers make a crescent shape (a Muslim symbol) instead of a Christian one. One possible explanation is the fact that the survivors within Vienna would then have consumed their enemy's symbol.{{Cn|date=March 2025}}
== Preparation == Traditionally, Kipferl are made by cutting sheets of soft yeast dough into triangular wedges, rolling them into crescent shapes, and baking them. Unlike the French croissant (crescent), Kipferl is made from a plain, bread-like dough and is more akin to a roll than to pastry. Kipferl is also thinner and longer than the croissant. Kipferl are made in various sizes; some of them weigh as much as a small bread loaf.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}}
In commercial preparation, the dough is mixed, cut into small pieces, and fed into a machine that flattens and rolls it.
==Varieties == ===Regular=== [[File:Кифле.jpg|thumb|In Serbia and North Macedonia, Kipferl are sometimes made with cheese and sesame.|alt=tray of rolls with sesame seeds]] thumb|Homemade spelt kiflice, filled with sheep cheese and topped with sesame seeds, made for Serbian Christmas (January 7)|alt=Plate of bread rolls
When they come out of the oven, the rolls can be left plain or brushed with water to give them a shiny finish. They can be given an egg wash and sprinkled with either poppy seeds or caraway seeds mixed with coarse salt. The latter variety is often made into a straight shape rather than a crescent. Kipferl is eaten like bread or rolls; it is usually made into a sandwich, sometimes plain or with butter like a fresh baguette. Often, especially for breakfast, the topping is jam or honey. They may also be used for dunking.{{Cn|date=March 2025}}
===Fine=== This is the same as the regular style, but the dough may contain butter or other shortening, as well as milk. It is sweeter than the regular variety and is well-suited for eating with jam or honey. It is commonly eaten for breakfast with coffee, hot chocolate, or milk. It might also be an accompaniment for drinks like Doogh and Kumis.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}
===Sweet=== There are a couple of sweet rolls named "Kipferl" to describe their shape; they are eaten at the end of a meal or with an afternoon drink; these are not Kipferl, which when used on its own, always means the regular or fine varieties.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}} In German, these are differentiated with a different spelling: ''Kipferl'' compared to ''Kipfel'' for the yeast bread.<ref name=":2" />
*''Vanillekipferl'' is a small, very short soft cookie made from a dough of ground nuts instead of flour. It is originally made with walnuts, but almonds are more often used outside of Hungary. Once baked, they are rolled in vanilla-flavored confectioners' sugar then allowed to cool.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.austria.info/uk/things-to-do/food-and-drink/favourite-austrian-recipes/vanillekipferl|title=Vanillekipferl Recipe|website=www.austria.info|language=en|access-date=25 February 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224134914/https://www.austria.info/uk/things-to-do/food-and-drink/favourite-austrian-recipes/vanillekipferl|archive-date=24 December 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> *''Bratislavský rožok/bratislavské rožky'', ''diós kifli'', ''mákos kifli'', also known as Pozsonyi kifli and in German as Preßburger Kipfel, are crescent-shaped, sweet, leavened pastries filled with a sweet walnut or poppy paste. Under the name ''Bratislavský rožok / Pozsonyi kiflia'', they are registered as Traditional Speciality Guaranteed products in the EU and the UK.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=16 August 2021|work=European Union|url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52019XC1010(04)|title=Publication of the amended single document following the approval of a minor amendment pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/20122019/C 342/13. C/2019/7229}}</ref> They are a variety of beigli, very similar in flavor but different in shape and size.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}} * ''Lupáčik''<ref name="kssj">„[https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk/?w=Lupáčik&s=exact&c=5715&cs=&d=kssj4&d=psp&d=sssj&d=orter&d=scs&d=sss&d=peciar&d=hssjV&d= lupáčik]“. In: ''Krátky slovník slovenského jazyka''. Red. J. Kačala – M. Pisárčiková – M. Považaj. 4th supplemented and edited edition. Bratislava: Veda 2003. 985 s. {{ISBN|80-224-0750-X}} (collective of autors: J. Doruľa, J. Kačala, M. Marsinová, I. Masár, Š. Michalus, Š. Peciar, M. Pisárčiková, M. Považaj, V. Slivková, E. Smiešková, E. Tibenská, M. Urbančok)</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.slideshare.net/Hrano/slovakia-breakfast|title=Slovakia breakfast|last=Hrano|date=2016-04-09|access-date=2023-03-02}}</ref> ({{IPA|sk|'lupaːtʂik}}) or ''makovka''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Recept na vláčne voňavé makovky a navyše ázijský tip pre ešte nadýchanejšie cesto |url=https://tchiboblog.sk/recept-na-makovky/ |access-date=2023-05-17 |website=Tchibo Blog |language=sk-SK}}</ref> ({{IPA|sk|'makouka}}), incorrectly presented as ''lúpačka'',<ref>{{Cite web|title=Je správne po slovensky pletienka, alebo... {{!}} Jazyková poradňa {{!}} SME.sk|url=https://jazykovaporadna.sme.sk/q/4200/|website=jazykovaporadna.sme.sk|access-date=2023-03-02|language=sk}}</ref> ({{IPA|sk|'luːpatʂka}}) is a sweet pastry made of fatty dough,<ref name="kssj" /> often decorated with poppy seeds.
==Gallery==
<gallery caption="Kifli of various cuisines" mode="packed"> File:Výroba rohlíku (25).JPG|Rohlík File:Rogal.jpg|Rogal File:2018-06-23 Rožok.jpg|Rožok File:Bratislavsky rozok.JPG|Bratislavsky rožok File:Pozsonyi kifli.jpg|Pozsonyi kifli File:Lupacik original.jpg|Lupáčik File:Hoernchen.jpg|Hörnchen </gallery> <gallery caption="Commercial rohlík production in the Czech Republic" mode="packed"> File:Výroba rohlíku (2).jpg|Loaves of dough before splitting File:Výroba rohlíku (4).JPG|Small chunks of dough File:Výroba rohlíku (5).JPG|Dough before insertion into rohlík machine File:Výroba rohlíku (6).JPG|Inserting dough, machine rolls rohlík automatically File:Výroba rohlíku (7).JPG|Rolled rohlík before baking File:Výroba rohlíku (10).JPG|Creative variations File:Výroba rohlíku (13).JPG|Proofing before baking File:Výroba rohlíku (20).JPG|Watering a rohlík File:Výroba rohlíku (21).JPG|Sprinkling with poppy File:Výroba rohlíku (22).JPG|Salt and caraway seed variation File:Výroba rohlíku (16).JPG|Rohlík in front of steam furnace </gallery>
==See also==
*List of breads *Cornetto, an Italian crescent pastry *Rogal świętomarciński, a crescent cake baked in Poznań, Poland, for St. Martin's Day *Rugelach, a filled crescent pastry popular in Jewish communities in Poland
==References== {{reflist}}
{{commons category|Kipferl}}
{{Albanian bread}}
Category:Pastries with poppy seeds Category:Albanian breads Category:Bosnia and Herzegovina cuisine Category:Macedonian cuisine Category:Serbian cuisine Category:Slovak cuisine Category:German breads Category:Hungarian breads Category:Breads of the Czech Republic Category:Serbian breads Category:Austrian breads Category:Easter bread