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Lángos
Hungarian fried bread with garlic, sour cream and cheese
Lángos is the deep-fried flatbread of Hungarian beaches and markets: it is eaten in swimsuits on the shore of Lake Balaton, at Budapest's Great Market Hall and at every summer fair. The dough is soft and yeasted, often enriched with mashed potato, and it fries into a puffy disc that is crisp at the edges and chewy in the middle. The classic topping is garlic water brushed on hot, then sour cream and a snowfall of grated cheese. Chef's tip: stretch the dough thinner in the centre than at the rim; the edge puffs into a crisp crust while the middle stays soft enough to hold the toppings. Choose a cheese made with vegetarian rennet (many supermarket Cheddars and Edams are).
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
For frying
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz strong white bread flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1 ½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Add 7 oz floury potato, ¾ cup lukewarm milk and 3 ½ tbsp lukewarm water and knead for 8–10 minutes until the dough is very soft, smooth and slightly sticky. It should be softer than bread dough.
10 minStep 2: Cover and leave in a warm place for 45–60 minutes, until doubled and full of bubbles when you press it.
60 minStep 3: Stir 4 cloves garlic into 3 tbsp water with ½ tsp salt and set aside; the longer it sits, the stronger it gets.
Step 4: Oil your hands and divide the dough into 6 balls. Rest for 10 minutes so the gluten relaxes.
10 minStep 5: Heat 1 litre sunflower oil in a wide, deep pan to 350°F over a medium-high heat; a scrap of dough should rise and sizzle steadily, not violently.
Step 6: With oiled fingers, stretch one ball into a 18–20 cm round, thin in the middle (almost see-through) with a thicker rim. Common mistake: rolling with a pin; it squeezes out the air and the lángos fries flat and tough.
Step 7: Slide it into the oil away from you. Fry for 1–2 minutes per side, spooning oil over the top, until puffed and deep golden brown. Drain upright for a moment, then on kitchen paper. Repeat with the rest.
12 minStep 8: While each is hot, brush with the garlic water, spread with 1 ¼ cups sour cream (20%) and pile on 7 oz Trappista, Edam or mild Cheddar. Eat immediately with your hands.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lángos take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of floury potato?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
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