Michetta is a variation of the Austrian Kaisersemmel brought to Milan in the 19th century during the Austrian rule.

[1] Functionaries of the Austrian empire introduced a number of food products, including the Kaisersemmel, a type of bread with segments resembling a small rose.

However, due to the higher humidity, the michetta produced in Milan is made with a modified recipe, and only lasts one day.

[2] The michetta rolls are highly leavened, more so than the Viennese Kaisersemmel, so the interior is very nearly hollow, producing a very light roll with hard crust, but they do not keep very well, and are best eaten freshly baked.

[3] The new type of bread was called michetta, from the Lombard version of Kaisersemmel, micca,[4] a term originally meaning 'crumb'.