Flaky pastry was concocted a long time after plain pastry had become common around most parts of the world. Many popular European flaky pastries, which are now seen commonly in supermarkets, are often eaten sporadically as a premium snack in the UK. One of the most famous snacks and earliest flaky pastry is the croissant. The origin of the croissant goes back to 1686 when the Turks tried to seize Budapest by digging under the walls of the city at night. Only the bakers were awake (working of course). They heard the noise and sounded the alarm, foiling the surprise attack of the Turks.
The reward was permission to sell a delicacy at a premium price: the croissant became that delicacy. The attraction was not just in the flavour or the texture, but the crescent shape, which mocks the Turkish flag. Originally croissants were made from bread-like dough. It wasn’t until the beginning of the 19th century in France that flaky (feulleté) dough was used and the now common forms first appeared.