Argentine Sweet Croissants (Medialunas)
Medialunas Say it: meh-dee-ah-LOO-nahs
Medialunas are Argentina’s beloved sweet crescent pastries, the country’s answer to the croissant. They are a fixture of cafés and family breakfasts, eaten with coffee, hot chocolate, or mate. Made from an enriched, buttery yeast dough that is folded and rolled, they bake into tender, flaky crescents with a glossy sugar glaze. The name means “half moon,” and their shape is unmistakable. Slightly sweet, rich, and soft inside, medialunas are at once comforting and celebratory.
Argentine Sweet Croissants (Medialunas)
Medialunas
Pronounced meh-dee-ah-LOO-nahs
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Total
- 1 hr 3 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Dough
Lamination
Egg wash
Glaze
Method
Stir the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar into the warm milk and let stand 5–10 minutes, until foamy. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, remaining sugar, and salt.
Add the milk mixture, egg, vanilla, and softened butter to the flour. Knead 8–10 minutes, until smooth and elastic, then shape into a disk, wrap, and chill 30 minutes.
For the butter block, pound the cold butter between sheets of parchment into a 6-inch (15 cm) square and chill until firm but pliable. Roll the dough on a floured surface into a 10×14-inch (25×35 cm) rectangle.
Place the butter square in the center, fold the dough over to enclose it, and pinch the seams. Roll into a long rectangle, fold in thirds like a letter, wrap, and chill 30 minutes. Repeat the roll-and-fold once more, then chill 30 minutes.
Roll the chilled dough into a 12×20-inch (30×50 cm) rectangle. Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel, cut it into 16 long, narrow triangles.
Roll each triangle from the wide base toward the tip, then bend the ends inward to form a crescent. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, cover, and proof 1–1½ hours, until puffy and nearly doubled.
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush the medialunas with the egg beaten with milk and bake 15–18 minutes, until golden and the edges crisp.
While they bake, simmer the glaze sugar, water, and honey 2–3 minutes, until slightly syrupy. Brush the hot medialunas with the glaze and cool on a rack 10 minutes before serving.
Regional variant: Medialunas de grasa (Lard Medialunas)
Make the dough with 1/4 cup (55 g) rendered beef fat or lard in place of the softened butter and laminate with 3/4 cup (170 g) cold lard instead of butter. Reduce the sugar to 2 tbsp (25 g) and omit the vanilla and honey glaze. They are less sweet and firmer, usually served plain or with only a light brush of sugar syrup.
Cook's notes
- Keep the butter and dough cold during lamination; if the butter softens, chill 15 minutes before rolling.
- Proof until the crescents feel light and spring back slowly when gently pressed; underproofed pastries bake dense.
- Brush the glaze while the medialunas are still hot so it sets to a thin, glossy shell.
Serve with
Coffee, hot chocolate, or mate.
Make ahead and storage
Best the day they are baked. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days and warm briefly before serving; freeze baked medialunas for up to 1 month.
