[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").

[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][9] A common culinary myth claims that the Kipferl was invented in Vienna after or during the siege of the city by Ottoman Turks.

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, raises the question of why would the bakers make a crescent shape (a Muslim 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.

[citation needed] In commercial preparation, the dough is mixed, cut into small pieces, and fed into a machine that flattens and rolls it.