A croissant is a buttery, flaky, viennoiserie pastry inspired by the shape
of the Austrian kipferl but using the French yeast-leavened laminated
dough.
Croissants are named for their historical crescent shape.
The dough is layered with butter, rolled and folded several times in
succession, then rolled into a thin sheet, in a technique called
laminating.
The process results in a layered, flaky texture, similar
to a puff pastry.