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1
Mix the Enriched Dough
15 Mins
Warm milk 40°C (105°F)
Warm 300 ml milk to about 40°C (105°F), stir in the honey and yeast, and leave 10 minutes until foamy. Mix 500 g flour with the sugar and salt, add the yeasted milk, 1 egg, the vanilla and the lemon zest, and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky. Knead in the 20 g softened butter until the dough is soft and elastic.
Milk hotter than 46°C (115°F) will kill the yeast — it should feel warm on your wrist, not hot.
Done when: A smooth dough that springs back slowly when poked.
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2
First Rise
60 Mins
Warm spot, about 25°C (77°F)
Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and leave in a warm spot for about 1 hour until doubled in size. While it rises, beat the 225 g cold butter with the 25 g flour into a flat square about 15 cm across, wrap it, and chill it.
A turned-off oven with the light on is a perfect warm spot for rising dough.
Done when: Doubled in size; a poked dent stays instead of springing back.
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3
Laminate the Butter Block
30 Mins
Fridge 4°C (40°F)
Roll the risen dough into a square, place the cold butter square in the centre, and fold the dough over it like an envelope, sealing the edges. Roll the packet into a long rectangle, fold it in thirds like a letter, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll gently and evenly — pressing too hard squeezes the butter out of the edges and ruins the layers.
Done when: A neat folded rectangle with no butter leaking from the seams.
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4
Roll, Fold and Chill Again
20 Mins + 60 Mins Chill
Fridge 4°C (40°F)
Repeat the roll-and-fold twice more, chilling 30 minutes between folds, for three folds in total. After the last fold, chill the dough for a final 30 minutes so it is firm and easy to cut.
Always roll away from the centre, never back and forth, to keep the butter layers even.
Done when: Dough is firm, cold, and holds its shape when cut.
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5
Shape the Crescents
20 Mins
Room temperature
Roll the dough into a rectangle about 3 mm thick, then cut it into long triangles about 8 cm wide at the base. Roll each triangle up tightly from the wide end to the point, curve the ends inwards to make a crescent, and place seam-side down on lined baking trays.
Stretch the triangle base slightly as you roll so the crescent is plump in the middle and tapered at the tips.
Done when: Twelve neat crescents, evenly spaced so they can puff without touching.
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6
Final Proof and Egg Wash
45 Mins
Warm spot, about 25°C (77°F)
Cover the trays loosely and proof for about 45 minutes until the crescents are puffy and almost doubled. Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Beat the second egg with 15 ml milk and brush it gently over the tops.
Brush lightly — a puddle of egg wash in the folds will glue the layers together.
Done when: Puffy, wobbly crescents with visible layers at the edges.
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7
Bake and Glaze
20 Mins
Oven 190°C (375°F)
Bake for 18–20 minutes until deep golden brown and puffed. While they bake, simmer 80 g sugar with 100 ml water for 3–4 minutes until slightly syrupy. As soon as the medialunas come out of the oven, brush them generously with the warm syrup until they shine.
Glaze while the pastries are still hot — the syrup soaks in and sets to a sticky shine instead of sitting on top.
Done when: Deep golden, crisp outside, soft inside, with a sticky sweet glaze.
Argentina
1h 25m
