Pretzel croissants: The carb-loaded mash up you need in your life

What do you get when you combine two of Europe’s greatest baked goods? The laguencroissant, obviously.

The pretzel croissant: When two delicious world's collide. Source: City Bakery

Perhaps the only thing better than eating a croissant and a pretzel in separate sittings would be eating them together, as a beautiful, unicorn-esque hybrid.

Enter the laguencroissant (if you’re in Germany), or the pretzel croissant (if you’re in New York, where this genius invention is said to have originated).

The pretzel croissant arrived on the scene in New York two decades ago, when a German graphic designer met with the owner of famed New York institution City Bakery that was looking for a space to bake and sell German pretzels.

In a burst of innovative spirit, a fellow baker decided to sprinkle rock salt (hitherto reserved for pretzels) over a tray of regular croissants and fold the ends into a pretzel shape.

Laugencroissants are brushed with lye before baking to achieve that trademark pretzel golden brown colour and a satisfying crunch.

Some time later, pretzel croissants emerged from the oven and promptly garnered a cult following in New York and beyond. Its creators at City Bakery really have compared it to a unicorn and other mythical creatures like mermaids – rare and resplendent as they are.

But unlike unicorns and mermaids, the pretzel croissant is very much a real thing.

We know what you’re wondering: how much is croissant and how much is pretzel? Reports reveal it’s more pretzel in shape and and more croissant in appearance.

Laugencroissants are brushed with lye before baking to achieve that trademark pretzel golden brown colour and a satisfying crunch, but the dough itself is buttery and flaky just like all good croissants should be. We’re not sure a more perfect union exists. 

They can be eaten as is for breakfast, or filled with smoked meats and cheese for a lunchtime snack.

Watch a video of a beloved New York City bakery crafting pretzel croissants from scratch, in which it’s revealed that traditional croissants are no less than half butter. Pretzel croissants demand commitment – it’s a 48-hour process and involves “medieval flogging”, but the final product is worth the wait. 

Given the pretzel croissants' unicorn status, they’re still relatively hard to find in Australia, but you can find them at the Organic Bread Bar in Sydney's eastern inner-city suburb of Paddington.

For those whose local bakeries don't have them yet, we recommend writing a strongly worded letter to your nearest French/German bakery, or flying to New York to join the City Bakery queue.