Kaisersemmel

Kaisersemmel was most certainly in the bags of Christophe Auguste Zang, a former artillery officer, when he returned to Paris in 1838 or 39 to open a Viennese pastry shop in the rue de Richelieu in Paris. Zan’s Viennoiserie was an instant success and Parisians have loved it ever since. Up until this time, French bread bakers devoted their efforts to large round sourdough bread and a few so-called “fantasy” breads made with beer yeast. But the sweetness we associate with Viennoiseries today was a long time coming.

Kaisersemmel was born under the reign of Emperor Frederick de Hapsburg (1440-1493). It is probably the first Viennese bread in history. But what made French bakers’ “fantasy” breads different from what their Austrian counterparts were starting to make? Not the five pinnacles made with a razor blade before putting the buns in the oven, but rather a recipe that included the addition of butter, milk, eggs and sugar to the usual ingredients.

Kaisersemmel quickly became an indisputable specialty of Viennese baking, and every bread baker played on its reputation.

These tasty little buns, in all their sweetness, are ideal for breakfast, sandwiches and, can be extended to other fast food preparations. They have become one of the emblems of Austrian food.