Short answer
An Italian croissant is the cornetto, a crescent-shaped breakfast pastry that is softer, sweeter and less flaky than a French croissant. It often contains egg and sugar in the dough and comes plain or filled with cream, jam or chocolate.
An Italian croissant is the cornetto, a crescent-shaped pastry of sweet, enriched yeast dough that is softer and less flaky than a French croissant. It is the standard Italian breakfast pastry, eaten at the counter with coffee, and it can be plain or filled with cream, jam or chocolate.
What is an Italian croissant?
An Italian croissant is the cornetto (plural cornetti), a crescent-shaped yeast pastry served at breakfast across Italy. The name means “little horn,” from its curved shape.
The cornetto is related to the French croissant and to the Austrian kipferl, an older crescent roll. Food historians do not agree on exactly who invented the crescent pastry, and the stories about Vienna and Paris are partly legend. What is clear is that Italian bakeries developed their own softer, sweeter version, and the word brioche is sometimes used in northern Italy for the same pastry.
How is the Italian croissant different from a French croissant?
The Italian croissant differs from the French croissant in its dough, texture, sweetness and how it is eaten. The cornetto is softer and sweeter, while the French croissant is flakier and more buttery.
| Feature | Italian cornetto | French croissant |
|---|---|---|
| Dough | Enriched with egg, sugar, sometimes milk | Leaner dough, mostly flour, milk, yeast, butter |
| Lamination | Lighter, often less butter | Heavy, many visible layers |
| Texture | Soft, tender, slightly cakey | Crisp shell, airy honeycomb |
| Sweetness | Noticeably sweet | Mildly sweet |
| Finish | Often glazed with sugar syrup or egg | Egg wash, matte golden |
| Typical use | Breakfast with espresso | Breakfast, snack, sandwich |
The two are close enough that a French croissant can be used in place of a cornetto in most uses.
What goes into the dough?
Cornetto dough uses flour, sugar, egg, butter, milk, yeast and salt, with a little lemon or orange zest in some recipes. The egg and sugar make the dough richer and more golden than a standard croissant dough.
- Flour: usually strong bread flour, for structure.
- Butter: folded in, though often in a smaller block than a French recipe.
- Egg and sugar: soften the crumb and add sweetness.
- Zest: orange or lemon zest gives a faint citrus note.
Some bakers use a long, cool rise to develop flavour. Others use a quicker method with a single fold of butter, which is why home-baked cornetti are often more bread-like.
What fillings does a cornetto have?
A cornetto may be plain, called vuoto, or filled with cream, jam or chocolate. Filled versions are often piped after baking.
- Crema: a vanilla custard, the classic filling.
- Marmellata: apricot jam is the traditional choice.
- Cioccolato: chocolate or hazelnut cream.
- Pistacchio: pistachio cream, a common modern choice.
- Integrale: a wholemeal version, usually plain or with honey.
The plain version is the one to compare against a French croissant, since the fillings change the character of the pastry.
How is an Italian croissant eaten?
An Italian croissant is typically eaten standing at a cafe counter in the morning with a cappuccino or espresso. Italians generally treat it as a breakfast item, and milky coffee is traditionally a morning drink.
At home, a cornetto can be warmed briefly in an oven at 150 degrees C to freshen it. It does not need jam or butter if filled. A plain one can be split and spread with jam or hazelnut cream. Dipping it into coffee is common and not considered rude at breakfast.
What is the history of the cornetto?
The history of the cornetto is tied to the Austrian kipferl, a crescent-shaped roll baked in Vienna, which spread to France and Italy in the 1800s. The exact route is disputed, and the popular legends about a siege or a royal marriage are not well documented.
What is documented is the result. French bakers added butter lamination and created the modern croissant, while Italian bakers kept a richer, sweeter dough and adopted the pastry for the morning coffee ritual. In Italy the cornetto became part of the standard breakfast at a counter, alongside espresso, and regional names vary. In Milan and other northern cities the word brioche is common for the same pastry.
How do you pick a good cornetto?
A good cornetto is golden, glossy and soft, with a clear spiral and no pale or greasy patches. It should feel light for its size and tear gently rather than crumble.
- Look for an even golden colour and a thin shine from egg or syrup.
- Press lightly: it should spring back, not stay dented.
- Smell for butter, a little citrus or vanilla, with nothing stale.
- For a filled cornetto, ask if the filling was added that morning.
A cornetto is at its best within a few hours of baking, because the soft crumb dries faster than a flaky croissant.
Can you make a cornetto at home?
Yes. A home cornetto uses an enriched dough, a modest butter fold and a short proof, so it is simpler than a French croissant.
- Mix flour, sugar, egg, milk, yeast and salt into a smooth dough and rest it overnight in the refrigerator.
- Roll it out, spread soft butter over two thirds and fold it like a letter.
- Give it one or two more folds, chilling between each.
- Cut triangles, roll them into crescents and proof until puffy.
- Brush with egg and bake at 190 degrees C for 15 to 18 minutes.
Authentic bakeries often glaze the finished pastry with a thin sugar syrup, which gives the sticky, shiny top you see in Italian counters.
Is there an Italian croissant at WeBake Dessert Cafe?
No Italian croissant or cornetto is recorded for WeBake Dessert Cafe in Burnaby. The business has no published menu. A directory lists croissants, in butter and chocolate styles, but that listing appears to belong to a different business, so it is unconfirmed.
Google reviewers mention a scone, salt bread, coffee and a Spanish latte. The menu page shows what this guide has recorded, and the hours and location page gives the phone number for asking what is on the counter. This guide takes no orders.
Common questions
Is a cornetto the same as a croissant?
They are related but not identical. The cornetto is the Italian descendant of the Austrian-French crescent pastry, made with a richer, sweeter dough and often less butter lamination, so it is softer and breadier than a French croissant.
What do Italians eat with a cornetto?
Italians commonly eat a cornetto at breakfast at a cafe counter with an espresso or cappuccino. It is a quick morning pastry rather than a dessert or a lunch item.
What fillings does a cornetto have?
Common fillings are custard cream, apricot or other jam, chocolate or hazelnut cream, and sometimes pistachio. A plain cornetto, called vuoto, has no filling and is the simplest version.
Why is the Italian croissant less flaky?
Many cornetto recipes use less butter in the folds and add egg, sugar and sometimes milk to the dough. That gives a tender, cake-like crumb instead of the crisp, honeycomb layers of a French croissant.
Is an Italian croissant bigger or smaller?
Cornetti are often a little smaller and more curved than French croissants, though sizes vary by bakery. The difference is more about texture and sweetness than size.
Planning a visit? Start with WeBake Dessert Cafe Burnaby: address, opening hours, menu and directions in one place.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from WeBake Dessert Cafe itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.