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Medialunas

Medialunas (Argentinian Croissants)

3715kcal
5 from 2 votes
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Prep 1 hour
Cook 20 minutes
Overnight Dough Rest 8 hours
Total 16 hours
Richer, sweeter, and softer than French croissants, these traditional Argentinian pastries incorporate honey and egg directly into the dough. Brushed immediately upon exiting the oven with a warm sweet sugar syrup, they feature tender laminated butter layers with a sticky, glossy crust.
Servings 12 Medialunas
Cuisine Argentinian

Ingredients

Enriched Main Dough (Detrempe)
  • 500 g Bread flour 12–13% protein
  • 235 g Milk
  • 20 g Water
  • 75 g Granulated sugar
  • 10 g Salt
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 5 g Instant dry yeast
  • 15 g Honey
  • 20 g Softened butter
Butter Roll-In Block (Beurrage)
  • 225 g Pastry butter cold, high-fat 82%+ butter
  • 25 g Bread flour to stabilize roll-in butter
Sweet Syrup Glaze (Almibar)
  • 50 g Sugar
  • 100 g Water
Egg Wash
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 2 tbsp Water

Equipment

Method

1. Night Before: Detrempe & Overnight Chill
  1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, dissolve 5 g instant yeast in 235 g milk and 20 g water.
  2. Add 75 g sugar, 15 g honey, 20 g softened butter, 1 egg, 10 g salt, and 500 g bread flour.
  3. Mix on slow to medium speed for 5–10 minutes until full gluten development and a smooth windowpane state is reached.
  4. Shape dough into a flat disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
2. Day 2: Prepare Butter Block & Lamination
  1. Butter Block: Remove roll-in butter from fridge. In mixer bowl with paddle attachment, cream 225 g butter with 25 g flour until smooth and uniform. Scrape onto parchment paper, shape into a 20×20 cm (7.8×7.8 inch) square block, and chill in fridge for 15 minutes.
  2. Enclose Butter: Roll cold dough into a 20×40 cm (7.8×15.8 inch) rectangle. Place butter block in center, fold outer dough edges over to meet, and seal edges tightly.
  3. Folds 1 & 2: Roll dough out lengthwise. Trim rough end edges and place trimmed pieces on top of dough to release tension. Fold into thirds like a letter. Turn dough 90 degrees, roll out again lengthwise, trim edges, and perform a 2nd letter fold. Cover and chill in fridge for 1 hour.
  4. Fold 3: Remove dough, perform 3rd letter fold, cover, and chill in fridge for 1 hour.
3. Shaping, Proofing & Glazing
  1. Roll chilled dough into a long rectangle 26–28 cm (10–11 inches) wide and 5 mm (0.1 inch) thick. Trim uneven edges.
  2. Cut dough into triangles with a 9 cm base. Roll each triangle tightly from base to tip into a crescent shape, pinching edges together.
  3. Proofing Options:
  4. Standard: Proof covered for 4–5 hours at 74–78°F (24–26°C) until doubled and jiggly.
  5. Overnight Breakfast: Chill shaped medialunas in fridge until 9–10 PM, then proof at 68–72°F (20–22°C) overnight to bake fresh in morning.
  6. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Whisk 1 egg with 2 tbsp water and brush pastries lightly.
  7. Bake for 20–25 minutes until deep golden brown.
  8. While baking, boil 50 g sugar and 100 g water in a saucepan to make sweet syrup. Immediately brush hot medialunas generously with syrup upon removal from oven.
  9. The video below shows how to laminate butter layers and roll tight crescent folds.

Nutrition

Calories3715kcalCarbohydrates485gProtein59gFat175gSaturated Fat107gPolyunsaturated Fat9gMonounsaturated Fat44gTrans Fat7gCholesterol448mgSodium3197mgPotassium743mgFiber11gSugar181gVitamin A5249IUVitamin C0.1mgCalcium304mgIron4mg

Notes

  • The Slit-Base Rolling Technique: Making a tiny 1/4-inch cut in the center of the triangle's base is a traditional Argentinian technique. When you begin rolling upward, this cut allows you to spread the feet of the triangle outward slightly, creating a longer crescent roll with more visible structural spirals, which prevents the center from expanding too quickly or bursting open during baking.
  • Why the Medialunas Touch on the Pan: Traditional French croissants are baked with plenty of space between them to ensure an all-around crispy, flaky exterior. Authentic Argentinian medialunas are placed on the baking sheet close together so their tips touch. This grouping traps steam between the pastries as they bake, keeping the side crumb incredibly tender, soft, and pull-apart pillowy.
  • Managing Temperature Mismatches: The single biggest challenge with lamination is keeping the butter and dough at the exact same consistency. If the butter is too cold, it will break into hard shards when rolled; if it is too warm, it will melt into the dough layers. If you see the butter tearing the dough, stop immediately, let the dough sit on the counter for 5 minutes to soften the butter slightly, then continue rolling with gentle pressure.
  • Syrup and Pastry Heat Equilibrium: For a perfectly glossy, non-sticky finish that sinks into the layers without making the pastry soggy, both elements must be hot. Brush the boiling syrup onto the medialunas the exact second they are removed from the oven rack. The intense residual surface heat of the pastry cooks the syrup instantly, locking in a glassy, sweet shine.

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