I remember the first time I traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital. For four days, our breakfast was Argentinian Medialunas and a coffee. They are the perfect mid-afternoon snack. They are widely popular and always available in Argentina. They have also been adopted in Chile, my home country.
Are croissants and Medialunas the same?
No, Medialunas are between a brioche and a croissant. They are made with a sweet, enriched (eggs and butter) dough with many layers and a subtle hint of lemon and vanilla. The sweetness is restrained.
Medialunas are a little challenging to make but fabulous to eat. They can be frozen and popped in the microwave or toaster for a real treat. Don’t forget to try them if you ever go to Argentina.
I recommend using European-style butter in this recipe (higher in fat, 82% or more) for better taste.
What is Facturas in Argentina?
Facturas is a unique Argentinian way to refer to Pan Dulces. Medialunas are a kind of factura.
Places to get Medialunas:
In Houston: Argentina Cafe
In Seattle: Boca Bakery
Leave a comment if you know of other Argentinian bakeries.
Other Argentinian recipes here.
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Argentinian Medialunas
A traditional recipe for Argentinian Medialunas or sweet croissants.
- Total Time: 5 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 18
Ingredients
PLEASE USE THE METRIC MEASUREMENTS
for the dough,
- 300 ml. of whole milk
- 14 grams (2 envelopes) of active yeast
- 525 grams of all-purpose flour
- 40 grams of sugar
- 15 grams of honey
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, optional
- 10 grams of salt
- 2 eggs (1 for the dough and 1 for the brush)
for the butter layers,
- 40 grams of all-purpose flour
- 225 grams of European-style butter, at room temperature (Plugra works well)
for the syrup,
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1/2 cup of sugar
Instructions
- Warm the milk; it should not be more than 110F or 43C. Add the yeast and stir until dissolved. Let stand for 10 minutes; it should form abundant bubbles. If you do not see bubbles, repeat the process and make sure that the yeast is alive.
- With a fork, mix the butter with the 40 grams of flour and spread over parchment paper, give it a square shape of about 6″ per side. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Place the flour, sugar, honey, vanilla extract, lemon, salt, and one egg in a bowl. Using the paddle attachment, mix everything while adding the milk with the yeast. Work to form a sticky dough for about 5 minutes. Change to the kneading hook and knead for 10 minutes at a low speed.
- Place the dough on a floured board. Stretch the dough into a square of about 12″ per side, place the square of butter in the center, and fold the dough to cover the square of butter. Pinch to seal the edges of the dough. Roll without exposing the butter into a rectangle. Fold in 3 as a letter, the left side first. Place in a floured tin and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Remove the dough from the floured board and place it with the longest side in front of you. Extend to form a rectangle and fold again in 3, always on the left side first. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Repeat this process two more times. After the four times doing the folding, don’t refrigerate. Move to the next step.
- Stretch the dough on the floured counter into a rectangle of 45 x 30 cm (18 “x 12″) with a thickness of 5 mm. Cut so that the rectangle has straight edges. Cut three long strips of 4” wide each. Then, cut each one in 3, and then diagonally, you will get 18 triangles. Extend each triangle and roll up starting from the base. Guide yourself with the photos.
- Butter generously a quarter baking sheet. Place each roll in the sheet and give it a horn shape, pressing the tips into the baking sheet, place the next crescent almost touching the previous one, fill the tray.
- Place the remaining egg and a little water or milk in a small bowl. Beat until fully incorporated.
- Preheat the oven to 350F or 180C.
- Leave the medialunas covered with a dishcloth in a warm place for 30-45 minutes; they should grow but not double in size.
- Brush with the egg mixture and bake for 30 minutes, rotating if necessary.
- Meanwhile, prepare the syrup. Place the water and sugar in a small pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Let boil for 4 minutes to reduce.
- Remove the medialunas from the oven; they must be well browned, prick with a toothpick in several parts, and brush with the syrup so that it is absorbed. Keep brushing until you use all the syrup.
- Serve warm. They keep for three days. They can be frozen and reheated without problems.
- Prep Time: 5 hours (2 h. active time)
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Sweets
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Argentinian
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 194
- Sugar: 7.1 g
- Sodium: 175.1 mg
- Fat: 8.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.2 g
- Fiber: 0.8 g
- Protein: 3.7 g
This recipe was sponsored by Plugrá® butter.
This is my go to recipe for Medialunas, I’ve made this recipe many times. It always turns up delicious.
Go make some for your family.
Thanks for commenting and for trusting me!
Hi, I want to make this recipe for my spanish class. i wanted to know more about the filling. you didn’t really mention it. but i see it is there on the ingredients. could you please specify when to fill it and also is the filling like dulce de leche?
This recipe does not include filling; the filling mentioned is part of the dough-making. I changed the name because it can be confusing. Thank you.
This recipe is very complex and requires careful management of the dough’s temperature for a good result and rest time while working on it.
While this recipe doesn’t include a filling, you can explore a different version by adding dulce de leche or quince paste. It’s a delightful twist on the classic medialunas.
Hello! this is such a great recipe! I love the clear instructions too! Thank you so much!!! I was wondering is it okay if after shaping I place them in the fridge and bake them the next day?
No, the timing is essential because of the yeast. If you delay the baking, they get sour (like sourdough).
They reheat well wrapped in a damp kitchen towel in the microwave.
Is there a step that can be done over night so that baking happens first thing in the morning (and they are warm for breakfast)?
Because of the yeast, it’s difficult to time for baking first in the morning, you will need to let them get to room temperature and rise before baking, so at least a couple of hours need it in the morning. Also, they will get sour because of the longer rise overnight in the fridge.
To reheat them in the morning: wrap them on a slightly damp towel in the microwave or by themselves in the toaster oven.