Craving real homemade lángos that are crisp rather than greasy? This recipe is the holy grail. Thanks to a higher-hydration dough, it is full of tiny bubbles and the inside is like a delicate cobweb. No tough “discs,” just a proper classic that melts in your mouth.
Remember that smell drifting from the snack stand at a summer swimming pool? Now you can bring it to your own kitchen, and it tastes even better. It’s cheap, filling, and with garlic simply irresistible. Who in the family will grab the first one?
At a Glance
- What it is: A traditional Hungarian fried flatbread made from yeast dough.
- Secret trick: A looser dough and oiled hands (no flouring the work surface!).
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Rising time: 60 minutes
- Servings: 6–8 pieces
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: about 380 kcal per piece (with toppings)
Ingredients
(US cups, with grams in brackets)
- 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) lukewarm water, about 100°F (38°C)
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons / 7 g) active dry yeast (or 25 g fresh yeast)
- 1 tablespoon oil (for the dough)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- oil for frying (enough for 1 inch / 2–3 cm depth)
For the toppings:
- garlic (pressed and mixed with a little water and salt)
- sour cream (thick)
- shredded cheese (Gouda or Edam)
Instructions
- Pour the lukewarm water into a bowl, add the sugar, and stir in the yeast. Let it stand for 10 minutes until it turns into an active starter (foamy).
- In a larger bowl, mix the flour with the salt. Add the yeast mixture and the tablespoon of oil. Work it into a dough. It will be looser and stickier than bread dough, but that is exactly what we want for the “cobweb” texture.
- Cover the dough with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 60 minutes, until doubled in size.
- Rub your hands generously with oil (don’t use flour!). Pull off pieces of dough and shape them into balls about the size of a tennis ball. Let them rest for another 10 minutes on an oiled surface.
- Heat the oil in a deep skillet or pot. Stretch each ball in your hands into a thin flatbread (the center can be almost translucent).
- Slide it into the hot oil and fry on each side until golden brown (about 1–2 minutes). The dough should float in the oil.
- Transfer the finished lángos to paper towels to absorb excess oil. Immediately brush with the garlic water, spread with sour cream, and sprinkle with cheese.
Tips
- How to keep them from getting greasy: The oil must be hot enough, otherwise the dough will soak up the fat. To test, drop in a small piece of dough: if it sizzles right away and rises to the top, the temperature is right (about 350–375°F / 180–190°C).
- Garlic water: Press 3 cloves of garlic, mix with 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of water. Brush this on the hot lángos before the sour cream, and the flavor will soak deep into the dough.
Variations
- Stuffed lángos: Don’t stretch the dough quite so thin. Put ham and cheese in the center, fold in half, press the edges together firmly, and fry like a pocket.
- Sweet version: Skip the garlic and brush the finished lángos with jam or sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why are my lángos tough? You most likely added too much flour when kneading or shaping. The dough must stay hydrated and sticky.
Can I store the dough in the fridge? Yes! Put it in an oiled zip-top bag. It keeps up to 3 days in the fridge, and the lángos will taste even better (cold fermentation).
Always serve fresh and hot, when they are at their best. Once cooled, they lose their crispness.
Recipe prepared by the We Cook With Love team.
Enjoy! Try more recipes from our kitchen.
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