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Pilar's Chilean Food & Garden

Pilar's Chilean Food & Garden

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Argentinian Medialunas

April 9, 2019 by Pilar Hernandez

Versión en español

Argentinian MedialunasI still remember the first time I traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital and for four days our breakfast was an Argentinian Medialunas and a coffee. They are the perfect snack also for midafternoon. They are widely popular and always available in Argentina, and they have also been adopted in Chile, my home country.

They are in between a brioche and a croissant, is a rich dough, with many layers and with a very subtle hint of lemon and vanilla. The sweetness is also restrained. They are a little challenging to make but fabulous to eat. They can be frozen and then popped in the microwave or toaster oven for a real treat. Don’t forget to try them if you ever go to Argentina.

This recipe is sponsored by Plugrá® butter, and it could not be a better occasion. Argentinian Medialunas are a kind of enriched bread with egg and butter added to the dough, the use of butter with an excellent flavor and made with care is fundamental for the final result.

Plugrá® has 82% fat, compared to 80% in regular butter. This coupled with a low percentage of moisture translates into Medialunas that last longer and taste better. Details like these make the difference.

Plugrá® uses specially selected cream from American dairy farms, is a premium butter. It does not have artificial ingredients nor does it use milk with growth hormones. One of its steps to obtain an ultra-creamy butter with low moisture content is careful handling of the temperature of the cream during the churning process. Available in two varieties: Salted, recommended for savory recipes or with toast, and Unsalted for sweet recipes: doughs in general, cookies, and sauces, you can buy it at Kroger supermarkets.
Argentinian Medialunas

You may also want to check out the recipe: Chilean Alfajores.

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Argentinian Medialunas

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Pilar Hernandez
  • Prep Time: 2 hours
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
  • Yield: 24
  • Category: Sweets
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Argentinian
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Description

A traditional recipe for Argentinian Medialunas or sweet croissants.


Ingredients

Units

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 filling,

  • 40 grams of all-purpose flour
  • 225 grams of Plugra® butter, at room temperature

for the syrup,

  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 1/2 cup of sugar

Instructions

  1. Warm the milk; it should not be more than 110F or 43C. Add the yeast and stir until dissolved. Let stand 10 minutes; it should form abundant bubbles. If you do not see bubbles, repeat the process and make sure that the yeast is alive.
  2. 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.
    Butter brick
  3. 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, about 5 minutes. Change to the kneading hook and knead for 10 minutes at a low speed.
    medialuna dough
  4. 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.
    adding the butter brick to the dough
  5. 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 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.
  6. 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.
    cutting the dough layers of dough shaping the dough
  7. 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.
    shaping medialunas medialunas on baking sheet
  8. In a small bowl, place the remaining egg and a little water or milk. Beat until fully incorporated.
  9. Preheat the oven to 350F or 180C.
  10. Leave the medialunas covered with a dishcloth in a warm place for 30-45 minutes; they should grow but not double in size.
  11. Brush with the egg mixture and bake for 30 minutes, rotating if necessary.
    brushing medialunas
  12. 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.
    syrup making
  13. 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.
    brushing baked medialunas
  14. Serve warm. They keep three days. They can be frozen and reheated without problems.
    Argentinian Medialunas

Keywords: medialunas, argentinian cuisine

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Argentinian Medialunas


The Chilean Kitchen*




 

If you enjoyed this recipe, you would also enjoy my cookbook* featuring 75 Chilean recipes for all seasons. It is lovingly written and scrumtpiously photographed, and you’ll delight in the best that Chilean cuisine has to offer, with easy-to-follow recipes tailored to American ingredients and grocery stores.

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Category: Argentinian Food, Breakfast, Popular Posts, Sweet bread, Sweet treats

About Pilar Hernandez

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Evan Andres

    September 5, 2019 at 12:36 am

    Thank you Pilar for posting this recipe. I was in Bogota a month ago and had a media luna from a bakery where the chef is Argentinian. It was so good and have been thinking about it since returning home. I will be trying your recipe.

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez

      September 6, 2019 at 1:05 pm

      They are fantastic, glad you found my site. Good luck,

      Reply
  2. Cherie

    December 21, 2019 at 7:55 am

    I spent a month in Argentina with my husband and children in March and enjoyed the sights and family he has in Buenos Aires but we also equally enjoyed the medialunas. After eating so many for 30 days we were desperate for them when we got back to the states! Your recipe is the best! I’ve made it nearly 10 times for us and his brothers and dad too, approved by the experts!

    I do have a question though. I normally struggle with the dough, especially near the end. Yours looks so friendly and flexible! I’m brand new to baking, just desperate for medialunas! Thanks for the amazing recipe!

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez

      December 21, 2019 at 2:17 pm

      Wow, you are going to be an expert in NO time. For the dough, keeping the temperature of the dough cold (working fast or with smaller batches is the easiest), good flour (I use King Arthur Flour is really the best), good butter (Costco or European style varieties).
      Let me know if you have other questions.

      Reply
  3. Norma

    January 3, 2020 at 6:57 pm

    Hi Pilar. I made your recipe last night. The medialunas were delicious. I should say that they were ready before 30 minutes in the oven. I am glad I was checking them often. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez

      January 4, 2020 at 1:49 pm

      Hi Norma, I’m glad you made them and that they were good.

      Reply
  4. Jennifer Scott

    February 14, 2020 at 2:34 pm

    Brilliant! Thank you so much for the highly detailed instructions. I wouldn’t have dared to dive into this recipe if you hadn’t given such wonderful detailed instructions. Tell us some more home cooking recipes!

    Best wishes,

    Jennifer Scott
    North Plains, Oregon

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez

      February 15, 2020 at 2:08 pm

      Thanks!. It’s a laborious complicated one. Glad that you enjoy it.

      Reply
  5. Jack

    May 8, 2020 at 3:16 pm

    Hi pilar, i love medilunas and i am so happy i found this recipe. I want to make sure i understand all the steps before i make them. For step 5, after folding and refrigerating, do we roll the dough out each time from the folded rectangle to it orginal size then fold or just unfold, turn it over and refold?

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez

      May 9, 2020 at 1:38 pm

      You roll each time again and fold following the pattern, so the layers are stacked.

      Reply
  6. Aria Conte

    May 22, 2020 at 6:30 pm

    I’ve made this recipe before and it is so good. It made some of the best medialunas I’ve had in the States. I was just wondering if this recipe can be doubled, or if I should make two separate batches.

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez

      May 23, 2020 at 2:11 pm

      Only double if you have a big counter for the folding. I’m so glad you got a good result.

      Reply
  7. Inez

    June 4, 2020 at 11:54 pm

    These turned out delicious! I have to say my dad gave me a hard time about using this website when he’s an Argentine himself and easily could have helped me! But it was all fun and laughs and like I said, they turned out great. However, the measurements for the ingredients was confusing. It would be a lot easier if they were entirely metric or entirely U.S. system instead of a mix of both. I almost messed up the recipe because of my lack of math skills when converting! But otherwise, it was a good recipe and a fun experience.

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez

      June 5, 2020 at 12:49 pm

      I’m so happy you got delicious Medialunas.

      Reply
  8. Aria Conte

    June 13, 2020 at 4:04 am

    So, since I eat these for breakfast, I’ve made the dough at night and left it in the fridge to bake in the morning. This has worked fine. I was wondering how long I could leave the dough in the fridge before it no longer rises.

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez

      June 13, 2020 at 1:04 pm

      No more than 12 hours, the flavors change a little with the long raise, to more sourdough.

      Reply
  9. Ana

    June 19, 2020 at 8:30 pm

    Hi, I just made this recipe and I think you miswrote the milk quantity. It is too sticky to knead. I threw out the first batch with 300 ml and the second time I used 205 ml and turned out much better and same consistency as the pictures.

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez

      June 20, 2020 at 1:33 pm

      Thank you for commenting. I use King Arthur Flour brand, the amount of liquid the dough takes will vary depending on the flour and the humidity of your kitchen.

      Reply
  10. Mallory

    June 30, 2020 at 6:20 am

    I’m half Argentinean, and I’ve always wanted to learn more about that side of my family. I love cooking and baking, so I thought it would be really interesting to learn how to make different Argentine dishes. I did a lot of research and discovered lots of different recipes that I’m excited to try! I’m hoping to make this recipe, however there is an egg allergy in the family, so I was wondering if the egg could be left out of the recipe, or if you had any suggestions for replacements? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez

      June 30, 2020 at 12:46 pm

      I’m sorry, but I wouldn’t recommend modifying this recipe, which is quite elaborate and lengthy.

      Reply
    • momo

      May 18, 2022 at 10:25 pm

      Hola Mallory la receta de medialunas marplatenses no lleva huevo fijate

      Reply
  11. Amanda

    July 19, 2020 at 6:37 pm

    Thanks for posting this recipe! My husband and i lived in Argentina and moved back to the states and we were just talking about how we missed medialunas! Can’t wait to make!

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez

      July 20, 2020 at 1:10 pm

      Fabolous, let me know how it goes or if you have any questions.

      Reply
  12. Sarina

    July 25, 2020 at 10:26 pm

    Hello, thanks for sharing this recipe. I wanted to know if I could substitute instant yeast instead. If yes, do I just add the instant yeast to the dry ingredients and add the warm milk in at the end, also would there be a difference in the amount of instant yeast?

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez

      July 26, 2020 at 2:10 pm

      It’s better to use active. I haven’t tried the recipe with instant and since this recipe has several steps I wouldn’t recommend the change.

      Reply
  13. Raphaela

    December 25, 2020 at 8:41 pm

    Did them already 3 times. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez

      December 26, 2020 at 1:40 pm

      Amazing, thanks for coming back to comment.

      Reply
  14. Eslovena

    February 5, 2021 at 7:03 pm

    I made medialunas following this recipe for many times now, they are always spectacular. My boyfriend is from Argentina and these medialunas make him feel at home. Actually, they make his whole family overjoyed every time I make them. They even said they can be compared to the ones from Atalaya! Which is pretty much the highest compliment they can get. Thank you so much for this recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez

      February 6, 2021 at 1:29 pm

      I’m so glad, I’m very picky about my medialunas too, so I tasted this recipe multiple times. Thanks for sharing with me!

      Reply
  15. Denise

    May 27, 2021 at 3:32 am

    Hola Pilar! Thanks so much for posting this recipe, I made them and my family and I are obsessed!! I was wondering how long I can freeze the dough if I would like to put them in the oven and eat at a later date?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez

      May 27, 2021 at 1:04 pm

      I freeze them fully cooked for up to 3 months—warm back on the microwave or oven.

      Reply
  16. Kaitlin Patterson

    June 8, 2021 at 3:50 am

    Can’t wait to make! I love a new and delicious challenge! Making for a friend from Argentina – you mention in comments freezing and warming up in microwave/oven. Would you mind sharing how long and at what temperature you do this? Don’t want to ruin them! Thanks!

    Can’t wait to write back how amazing they are! Stay tuned!

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez

      June 8, 2021 at 12:10 pm

      It depends on the microwave, go slow and one at a time, don’t do more than one. And it’s for leftover, fresh warm from the oven is way better.

      Reply
  17. Emily

    August 23, 2021 at 12:04 am

    I think the prep time is off. It says 2 hours. There is 2 hours where the dough is in the fridge but that doesn’t include making the dough or rolling. It’s probably closer to 3 hours which still doesn’t include the 30-45 minutes for proofing.
    I also think the picture where the slab of butter is sitting on the dough isn’t correct. In order for you to get the look of the next picture you have to put the butter at a diagonal.

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez

      August 23, 2021 at 12:09 pm

      It’s active work for around two hours. But it varies a lot depending on skill and experience.
      About the picture: The orientation of the butter “brick” is correct; you pull the dough into the shape seeing in the picture.

      Reply
  18. Jen

    January 6, 2022 at 1:52 pm

    I love them my fiancé is Argentinien and he loves them I add in the syrup a little bit vanilla extract 😉the only thing I have sometimes problems is the dough when u need to put the butter and u need to fold but I was looking around in YouTube how to do it and today I made them and I didn’t had any problems with it at all I really love this recipe thank u

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez

      January 7, 2022 at 1:30 pm

      Congrats, so happy you made them. Great idea with the vanilla.
      Thanks for commenting.

      Reply

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