bread

Medialunas

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Medialunas

If you go to any bakery in Argentina (in Buenos Aires you’ll see one every two blocks), you’ll find lots of medialunas. They’re very similar to croissants in shape but the texture is slightly different.

There are many types of medialunas: butter-style, lard-style, filled with dulce de leche, filled with ham and cheese. They’re a very versatile type of pastry so they pair well with pretty much everything.

I also find the name medialuna magical. It means half-moon, and it obviously refers to its shape.

I hadn’t had medialunas since I moved to Canada, and for some reason, there was a week where all Instagram showed me was recipes of medialunas. It was a sign (that I share too much information with Facebook maybe). I had never made them before so I ventured to try it. I knew they usually take a long time to make, so I obviously looked for the quickest recipe.

This recipe makes a huge batch (I think around 30, depending on the size). I froze most of them, so they’re super convenient anytime, especially for breakfast. Seb loves them with ham and cheese (like a sandwich)! Just take them out of the freezer, warm them for 45 seconds on the microwave, fill them with whatever you want and bake for 5 minutes in a 300°F oven. Voilà!

Ingredients

Dough

  • 10g active dry yeast
  • 480g all-purpose flour
  • 50g room-temperature butter
  • 1 egg
  • 40g sugar
  • 250ml milk
  • 125ml water
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 egg (for egg wash)

Syrup

  • 100g sugar
  • 100ml water
  • 2 slices of any citrus fruit (i.e. lemon, orange, lime)

Directions

  1. In the bowl of a standing mixer, using a knead hook, mix the yeast with the flour well.
  2. Add the butter and mix with until incorporated.
  3. Add the egg and the sugar and keep kneading.
  4. Slowly add the water until the dough forms. Knead for a couple of minutes. The dough should be sticky so don’t add more flour.
  5. Cover the dough with a damp towel and place in a warm surface (the stovetop should do fine).
  6. Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer to a floured surface. Roll into a rectangular shape until the dough is about 1 cm thick.
  7. Cut the dough in triangles. Shape the triangles into a crescent shape. To do this, put the triangle facing you upside down. Then roll it with your hands towards you.
  8. Place the medialunas in a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Have each medialuna rest on the tips of the previous one (see pictures for reference), but leave some space between each other because they still need to rise one more time.
  9. Let them rest in shape for about 10 more minutes or until risen. Paint them with an egg wash.
  10. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350°F for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
  11. While they bake, make the syrup. In a small saucepan add the water, sugar and citrus slices. Don’t mix it and let it bring to a boil. When big bubbles form, turn off the heat.
  12. Once the medialunas are out of the oven, brush the top with the syrup.