Lángos (Hungarian Fried Flatbread)
In short: Crisp, chewy fried yeast dough rubbed with garlic and topped with sour cream and grated cheese, Hungary's favorite street food. It takes about 50 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Resting
- 1 h 30 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 720 kcal
Lángos is the street food of Hungary, sold at markets, beaches and festivals. A soft yeast dough with a little mashed potato is stretched into discs and deep-fried until crisp outside and chewy within. It is rubbed with garlic water, then topped with sour cream and grated cheese. Other toppings include ham, cabbage salad or just salt. Eat it hot, straight from the paper, ideally within minutes of frying.
Instructions
- Mix the flour, mashed potato, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the milk and oil and knead for 8 minutes into a soft, slightly sticky dough.
- Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled.
- Stir the garlic into the warm water with the salt and leave to infuse while you work.
- Divide the dough into 4 pieces. With oiled hands, stretch each into a 20 cm (8 in) disc, thinner in the center than at the edge, and rest for 15 minutes on an oiled tray.
- Heat 3 to 4 cm (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 in) of oil in a wide, deep pan to 180°C (350°F). Fry each disc for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side, until golden and puffed.
- Drain on a rack or paper towels.
- Brush the hot lángos with the garlic water, spread with sour cream and scatter with the cheese. Serve at once.
Tips
- Keep the oil at 180°C (350°F). If it is too cool the dough soaks up oil, and if it is too hot the surface burns before the inside cooks. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- For a lighter topping, rub with garlic and add only salt. Other classic toppings are ham, grated cheese with cabbage salad, or ketchup.
Questions and answers
Can I bake lángos instead of frying it?
You can bake it at 230°C (450°F) for 12 to 15 minutes, but it will be more like a flatbread than the crisp, chewy original.
Can I make lángos dough ahead of time?
Yes. After kneading, refrigerate the dough overnight and bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping.
What is lángos traditionally topped with?
Garlic water, sour cream and grated cheese is the classic combination. Plain garlic and salt is the old-fashioned way, and ham, cabbage salad or sausage are modern additions.
How long does it take to make Lángos (Hungarian Fried Flatbread)?
About 50 min in total: 30 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Lángos (Hungarian Fried Flatbread)?
About 720 kcal per serving, with 21 g of protein, 78 g of carbohydrates and 36 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 720 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 21 g |
| Carbohydrates | 78 g |
| Fat | 36 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Sodium | 1300 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
