Italian Breakfast Croissant (Cornetto)
A soft, lightly sweet laminated pastry with a tender, feathery crumb, filled with silky vanilla pastry cream. This is the cornetto Italians queue up for at the bar every morning, best eaten warm alongside a cappuccino.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Make the dough
Dissolve the yeast in the cold milk. In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, salt, orange zest and vanilla, then add the eggs and the milk mixture. Knead by hand or in a stand mixer for about 8 minutes, then work in the soft butter a little at a time until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
- 500 g flour
- 80 g sugar
- 10 g salt
- 10 g yeast
- 2 eggs
- 150 ml milk
- 50 g butter
- 1 orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
✅ Done when: the dough is smooth, slightly tacky but not sticky, and springs back when poked
Chill the dough
Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight. This relaxes the gluten and firms the dough so it rolls evenly and does not fight back when you laminate it.
✅ Done when: the dough is firm and cold all the way through, not just on the surface
Laminate with butter
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Shape the croissants
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Let it rise
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Bake the cornetti
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Make cream and fill
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Make the dough
Dissolve the yeast in the cold milk. In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, salt, orange zest and vanilla, then add the eggs and the milk mixture. Knead by hand or in a stand mixer for about 8 minutes, then work in the soft butter a little at a time until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
- 500 g flour
- 80 g sugar
- 10 g salt
- 10 g yeast
- 2 eggs
- 150 ml milk
- 50 g butter
- 1 orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
✅ Done when: the dough is smooth, slightly tacky but not sticky, and springs back when poked
Chill the dough
Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight. This relaxes the gluten and firms the dough so it rolls evenly and does not fight back when you laminate it.
✅ Done when: the dough is firm and cold all the way through, not just on the surface
Laminate with butter
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Shape the croissants
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Let it rise
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Bake the cornetti
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Make cream and fill
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The Story Behind the Dish
The cornetto's shape traces back to the Viennese kipferl, which traveled to France and became the croissant. When it arrived in Italy, bakers softened the recipe: less butter, a touch more sugar, sometimes a splash of milk or honey in the dough, giving a softer, less flaky bite than its French cousin.
It became the anchor of the Italian 'colazione al bar': a quick stand-up breakfast of cornetto and cappuccino or espresso, eaten standing at the counter before work.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It's one of the most popular breakfast pastries in Italy, loved for its soft, barely sweet dough and the way it pairs so naturally with a morning coffee.
💡 Fun Fact
Italians usually ask for it plain, filled with cream, jam, chocolate or honey, and bakeries typically bake fresh batches throughout the morning so there is always a warm one ready at the bar.
Northern Italy
45.46°N, 9.19°E
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