Small, sweet crescent-shaped pastries glazed with a light sugar syrup, softer and sweeter than French croissants. The backbone of every Argentine breakfast and merienda.
Nutrition & Info
Allergen Warnings
Equipment Needed
Instructions
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1
Dissolve yeast in warm milk and let stand for five minutes until foamy. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, and salt. Add eggs, softened butter, vanilla, and the yeast mixture. Knead for ten minutes until smooth and elastic.
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2
Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for one hour until doubled in size.
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3
Punch down the dough and roll it out into a large rectangle about half a centimeter thick. Cut into long triangles and roll each from the wide end to the point, curving the ends inward to form crescent shapes.
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4
Place the shaped medialunas on lined baking sheets, leaving space between them. Cover and let rise for another thirty minutes. Bake at 190C for fifteen to eighteen minutes until golden.
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5
While the medialunas bake, prepare the glaze by simmering sugar and water until slightly thickened. Add vanilla. Brush the hot medialunas generously with the glaze as soon as they come out of the oven.
Did You Know?
Argentines consume an estimated six billion medialunas per year. The two main varieties are de manteca (butter, sweeter) and de grasa (versions made with vegetable shortening also exist), with fierce debates about which is superior.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- rolling pin
- baking sheets
- pastry brush
- mixing bowl
The Story Behind Medialunas
Medialunas arrived in Argentina with the wave of European immigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, influenced by both French croissants and Italian cornetti. Argentine bakers adapted these traditions into something distinctly local, creating smaller, sweeter pastries brushed with a sugar glaze. They became the cornerstone of Argentine cafe culture, inseparable from the ritual of cafe con leche at neighborhood confiterias. Today medialunas are the most consumed baked good in Argentina.
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