Type | Bread roll |
---|---|
Course | Breakfast, coffee break |
Region or state | Europe |
Serving temperature | Warm or room temperature |
Main ingredients | Wheat flour |
Kipferl, kifli, kiflice, or kifle 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, where it is called by different 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? ] are used to make a sweet bread pudding called Kipfelkoch. [1]
The roll or pastry is called:
In Old High German, Kipfa mean "carriage stanchion" and referred to the stanchions or "horns" of a cart. [1] In the 13th century, that usage referred to a bread shape of pagan origin. [1]
The Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovenian, Ukrainian and Russian names derive as diminuitives from the Slavic word rogal or rohel ("horned") which in turn derives from "rog/roh" ("horn/protrusion"). [8] Some other languages use a simple translation ("horn", "cornulet").
The similarity of the words "rohalyk" or "rohlík" with the English word "roll" is coincidental, the words are not related by origin. The Slavic root "rog" can be hypothetically related with the German verb "ragen" ("to protrude"). [8]
Kipferl are a traditional yeasted bread rolled into a crescent shape. The Austrian kipferl is a small wheat roll with pointed ends. [2] 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"). [2]
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. [1] The shape is also reminiscent of horns; both are associated with ancient symbolism and considered the oldest surviving pastry shape. [9] [1] A moon shaped pastry creates itself naturally by hand-rolling a ball of dough into a cylinder form.[ citation needed ]
A list of foods eaten in a 10th-century convent include panis lunatis, described as a small crescent-shaped roll often eaten during fasts. [10]
The Kipferl has been documented in Austria to at least 1227 when they were recorded in Babenberg-ruled Vienna as chipfen: [2] [1] : 4
dô brâchten im die pecken
chipfen und weiʒe flecken,
weiʒer dann ein hermelein.
In Austria, the Kipferl is formally recognized by the government as a traditional food. [1] According to the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism, Kipferl were probably a traditional monastery pastry baked for Easter. [1] 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. [1]
The Kipferl likely inspired the similarly shaped French croissant, which is made from a laminated pastry dough. [1] [9]
A common culinary myth claims that the Kipferl was invented in Vienna after or during the siege of the city by Ottoman Turks. [1]
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 ] This however begs the question of why would the bakers make a crescent shape (an Ottoman symbol) instead of a Christian one.
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 small bread loaf.[ citation needed ]
In commercial preparation, the dough is mixed, cut into small pieces, and fed into a machine that flattens and rolls it.
When they come out of the oven, the rolls can be left plain or brushed with water to make them shiny. 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.
This is the same as the regular style but the dough may contain butter or other shortening and milk. It is sweeter than the regular variety and is well-suited to be eaten with jam or honey, and 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 ]
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 ] In German, these are differentiated with a different spelling: Kipferl compared to Kipfel for the yeast bread. [1]
A croissant is a French pastry made from puff pastry in a crescent shape.
Hungarian or Magyar cuisine is the cuisine characteristic of the nation of Hungary, and its primary ethnic group, the Magyars. Hungarian cuisine has been described as being the spiciest cuisine in Europe. This can largely be attributed to the use of their piquant native spice, Hungarian paprika, in many of their dishes. A mild version of the spice, Hungarian sweet paprika, is commonly used as an alternative. Traditional Hungarian dishes are primarily based on meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits, bread, and dairy products.
Dough is a thick, malleable, sometimes elastic paste made from grains or from leguminous or chestnut crops. Dough is typically made by mixing flour with a small amount of water or other liquid and sometimes includes yeast or other leavening agents, as well as ingredients such as fats or flavourings.
A cinnamon roll is a sweet roll commonly served in Northern Europe and North America. In Sweden it is called kanelbulle, in Denmark it is known as kanelsnegl, in Norway it is known as kanelbolle, skillingsbolle, kanelsnurr, or kanel i svingene, in Finland it is known as korvapuusti, in Iceland it is known as kanilsnúður, and in Estonia it is known as kaneelirull. In Austria and Germany, it is called Zimtschnecke. In Slovakia and the Czech Republic, it is called škoricové slimáky/skořicoví šneci.
Rugelach is a filled baked confection originating in the Jewish communities of Poland. It is also a popular treat among Jews in the diaspora.
Czech cuisine has both influenced and been influenced by the cuisines of surrounding countries and nations. Many of the cakes and pastries that are popular in Central Europe originated within the Czech lands. Contemporary Czech cuisine is more meat-based than in previous periods; the current abundance of farmable meat has enriched its presence in regional cuisine. Traditionally, meat has been reserved for once-weekly consumption, typically on weekends.
Vanillekipferl are Austrian, German, Swiss, Czech, Slovak, Polish and Hungarian small, crescent-shaped biscuits. They were originally made with walnuts, but almonds or hazelnuts can also be used. They get their typical flavour from a heavy dusting of vanilla sugar.
A nut roll is a pastry consisting of a sweet yeast dough that is rolled out very thin, spread with a nut paste made from ground nuts and a sweetener like honey, then rolled up into a log shape. This 'log' is either left long and straight or is often bent into a horseshoe shape, egg washed, baked, and then sliced crosswise. Nut rolls resemble a jelly roll but usually with more layers of dough and filling, and resemble strudels but with fewer and less delicate dough layers. Fillings commonly have as their main ingredient ground walnuts or poppy seeds.
Gata is an Armenian pastry or sweet bread. There are many variations of gata in Armenia. Typically, specific towns or regions will have their own version. It can be found in a variety of shapes, sizes and may be decorated or left unadorned. Long ago, gata was baked in a tonir, but it is now baked in ovens. The bread is traditionally eaten at the feast of Candlemas, but is eaten during other festivities too or simply baked to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee.
Variations of cream buns or cream rolls exist all around the world. Typically they are made with an enriched dough bread roll that is split after baking and cooling and filled with cream.
Viennoiseries are French baked goods made from a yeast-leavened dough in a manner similar to bread, or from puff pastry, but with added ingredients, which give them a richer, sweeter character that approaches that of pastry. The dough is often laminated.
The poppy seed roll is a pastry consisting of a roll of sweet yeast bread with a dense, rich, bittersweet filling of poppy seed. An alternative filling is a paste of minced walnuts, or minced chestnuts.
Pogača is a type of bread baked in the ashes of the fireplace, and later in modern ovens. Found in the cuisines of the Balkans, Levant, and Hungary it can be leavened or unleavened, though the latter is considered more challenging to make. It is generally made from wheat flour, but barley and sometimes rye may be added. It can be stuffed with potatoes, ground beef, olive, or cheese, and have grains and herbs like sesame, black nigella seed, or dried dill in the dough or sprinkled on top.
A babka is a sweet braided bread which originated in the Jewish communities of Poland and Ukraine. It is popular in Israel and in the Jewish diaspora. It is prepared with a yeast-leavened dough that is rolled out and spread with a filling such as chocolate, cinnamon, fruit, or cheese, then rolled up and braided before baking.