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Medialunas
Mix the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add the milk, water, egg, soft butter, honey, vanilla and lemon zest and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Flatten it into a rectangle, wrap, and chill for an hour or overnight.
Questions about this dish
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Medialunas take?
6 hr 15 min all in — 1 hr 30 min prep, 15 min cook, 4 hr 30 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 24 pieces. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
A bit of work.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Milk, Eggs. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Nut-free.
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What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Mixing bowl, Rolling pin, Chef's knife, Baking tray, Oven, Saucepan.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.
How much sugar?
80 g of Sugar.
How much honey?
1 tbsp of Honey.
How much sugar?
100 g of Sugar.
What can I use instead?
Butter for laminating → Lard or rendered beef fat. Makes medialunas de grasa. Shape them straight rather than curved, add a pinch more salt to the dough and skip the syrup.
What should I watch for?
If butter breaks through or the dough feels greasy, stop and chill it for 15 minutes. Warm butter melts into the dough and you get bread, not layers.
Any tips from this recipe?
Make the dough in the evening and laminate in the morning. The long cold rest makes it easier to handle and gives more flavour. Shaped, unproofed medialunas freeze well. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, then proof, glaze with egg and bake. Split and filled with ham and cheese, then warmed, they become the café standard medialuna de jamón y queso.
Can I prepare this ahead?
Shaped, unproofed medialunas freeze well. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, then proof, glaze with egg and bake. Mix the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add the milk, water, egg, soft butter, honey, vanilla and lemon zest and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Flatten it into a rectangle, wrap, and chill for an hour or overnight.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.