Medialunas de Manteca

Ingredients

• 500g strong white bread flour
• 60g caster sugar
• 10g fine sea salt
• 10g fast-action dried yeast
• 2 egg yolks
• 240ml whole milk, lukewarm
• 50g soft butter, for the dough
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 250g cold unsalted butter, for laminating
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk, to glaze
• For the syrup: 120g caster sugar
• 80ml water
• 1 strip of lemon peel

Before you cook

• Take the 250g of laminating butter from the fridge only when the recipe calls for it, so it stays cold
• Warm the milk to blood temperature
• Grate the lemon zest and have the vanilla measured out
• Line two large baking trays with baking paper

Steps

1. Mix the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl, keeping the salt and yeast on opposite sides until you stir.
2. Add the egg yolks, milk, soft butter, vanilla and lemon zest.
3. Bring the dough together, then knead it for 10 minutes, until it is smooth and springs back slowly when poked.
4. Shape the dough into a rectangle, wrap it and chill it for 1 hour.
5. Put the cold laminating butter between two sheets of baking paper and beat it with a rolling pin into a 20cm square slab.
6. Chill the butter slab for 15 minutes so it is firm but still bends without cracking.
7. Roll the chilled dough into a 40cm by 22cm rectangle on a lightly floured worktop.
8. Lay the butter slab over the lower two thirds of the dough.
9. Fold the bare top third down over the butter, then fold the bottom third up over that, giving you three layers.
10. Turn the block 90 degrees, roll it out to 50cm long and fold it in thirds again.
11. Wrap the block and chill it for 40 minutes.
12. Repeat the rolling and folding once more, then chill it for another 40 minutes.
13. Roll the finished block into a long rectangle about 45cm by 30cm and 5mm thick.
14. Trim the edges square, then cut the sheet into long triangles with a 9cm base.
15. Stretch each triangle gently by its tip, then roll it up from the base towards the point, keeping it tight.
16. Set each roll on a tray with the tip tucked underneath and bend the ends inwards to make a fat crescent.
17. Cover the trays loosely and prove the medialunas in a warm place for 2 hours, until they are visibly puffed and wobble when you shake the tray.
18. Heat the oven to 190C fan.
19. Brush the medialunas gently with the egg glaze, taking care not to deflate them.
20. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until deep golden all over.
21. Boil the sugar, water and lemon peel together for 3 minutes to make a light syrup.
22. Brush the syrup generously over the medialunas the moment they come out of the oven, so it soaks in and sets to a shine.
23. Cool them for 10 minutes on a rack and eat them the same morning.