Breakfast
Medialunas
Ingredients
- - 500 g (4 cups) plain flour
- - 10 g (2 tsp) instant yeast
- - 60 g (1/4 cup) sugar
- - 10 g (2 tsp) salt
- - 2 large eggs
- - 180 ml (3/4 cup) whole milk, lukewarm
- - 250 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened, divided
- - 60 ml (1/4 cup) sugar syrup, for glazing (60 g sugar dissolved in 60 ml water)
Method
- Mix flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add eggs and warm milk, then knead 8-10 minutes into a smooth, elastic dough.
- Rest the dough, covered, for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Roll the dough into a rectangle about 1 cm thick. Spread 200 g of the softened butter over two-thirds of the dough, fold in thirds like a letter, then chill 20 minutes.
- Repeat two more folds (turns), chilling 20 minutes between each, using the remaining butter on the second turn.
- Roll the dough out to 4-5 mm thickness and cut into triangles. Roll each triangle from the wide end to the point, curving the ends inward to form a crescent.
- Place on lined trays, cover loosely, and let proof in a warm spot for 60-90 minutes until puffy.
- Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 12-15 minutes until golden.
- Brush warm medialunas generously with sugar syrup as soon as they come out of the oven.
Introduction: Medialunas are Argentina’s answer to the croissant, brought by Spanish and Italian immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and adapted into a sweeter, softer pastry.
Cultural Background: Medialunas are Argentina’s answer to the croissant, brought by Spanish and Italian immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and adapted into a sweeter, softer pastry. They come in two styles – de manteca (butter, glazed sweet) and de grasa (lard, less sweet) – and are the anchor of almost every Argentine breakfast and merienda, eaten alongside coffee or mate.
Tips: Keep the butter and dough at similar temperatures during laminating so the layers don’t tear. For flakier layers, chill the dough fully (1 hour) before the final roll and cut.
Variations: Medialunas de grasa: replace butter with lard and reduce sugar for a savoury, flakier version traditionally sold in bakeries by weight.
Vegetarian/Vegan: Vegetarian: Naturally vegetarian; no conversion needed. Vegan: Replace butter and lard with a firm vegan block butter and use a flax egg or omit egg wash; texture will be slightly less rich.
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Reheating: Warm in a 160°C (320°F) oven for 4-5 minutes to restore crispness; avoid microwaving as it makes them chewy.
Nutrition: Per medialuna (approx. 45 g): 180 kcal, 4 g protein, 9 g fat, 21 g carbohydrate, 1 g fibre.
FAQs:
Q: Can I freeze the shaped, unbaked medialunas? A: Yes – freeze after shaping, then thaw and proof fully before baking. Q: Why didn’t my medialunas get flaky layers? A: The butter likely melted into the dough during rolling; keep both cold and work quickly.
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