Mark’s Recipe Box

Lángos (Hungarian Fried Dough)

Breads & DoughsWeekend project6 pieces1 hr 45 min (40 min active)hungarian, fried, dough, street-food, weekend

Do this first

  1. Make the dough first. It needs about 1 hour to rise, and you do the rest of the prep while it rises.
  2. Whisk the 4 1/4 cups flour, 1 packet instant yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl.
  3. Add the 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water and 2 tbsp oil.
  4. Mix, then knead 6-8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, soft and slightly sticky.
  5. Cover the bowl and leave it in a warm spot about 1 hour, until doubled in size. Set a timer. Do the prep below while it rises.

Then prep

  • Crush the 3 cloves garlic into the 3 tbsp water in a small bowl. This is the garlic water. Set a pastry brush or spoon next to it.
  • Grate the 5 1/2 oz cheese into a bowl.
  • Set out the 1 cup sour cream with a spoon.
  • Line a tray with paper towels.
  • Set out a wide deep pan, the frying oil (about 4 cups), a thermometer if you have one, and tongs or a slotted spoon.
  • Set out a little extra oil for your hands and the counter.
  • Everything is ready. Wash up and wait for the timer.

Ingredients

  • 4 1/4 cupsall-purpose flour
  • 1 packetinstant yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
  • 1 tspsugar
  • 1 1/2 tspsalt
  • 1 1/3 cupslukewarm water
  • 2 tbspneutral oil, for the dough, plus more for your hands and the counter
  • about 4 cupsneutral oil, for frying
  • 3 clovesgarlic
  • 3 tbspwater, for the garlic
  • 1 cupsour cream
  • 5 1/2 ozcheese, grated (Edam, Gouda or mild cheddar; Trappista in Hungary)

Steps

  1. When the timer goes, check the dough. It's ready when it has doubled in size.
  2. Tip the dough onto an oiled counter and divide it into 6 equal pieces.
  3. Shape each piece into a ball.
  4. Rest the balls 10 minutes. Set a timer for 10 minutes. While they rest, do the next step.
  5. Heat the frying oil, about 4 cups, in the wide deep pan to 350°F. It should be about 1 inch deep and fill the pan no more than halfway. Without a thermometer, a scrap of dough should sizzle and float right away.
  6. When the balls have rested and the oil is hot, stretch one ball with oiled hands into a disc about 8 inches across, thinner in the middle than at the edge.
  7. Lower it into the oil, laying it away from you.
  8. Fry about 2 minutes on the first side, until deep golden. Flip it.
  9. Fry about 2 minutes on the second side, until deep golden.
  10. Lift it out and drain it on the paper towels.
  11. Repeat with the remaining dough, one at a time. Stretch each one just before it goes in. Don't leave the oil while it's hot.
  12. Brush each hot lángos with the garlic water.
  13. Top each with sour cream, sharing the 1 cup between the 6, and the grated cheese.
  14. Eat hot.
  15. Turn off the heat. Let the oil cool fully before moving the pan.

Notes

Never leave hot oil unattended, and let it cool fully before moving the pan. Lángos is best within minutes of frying. Untested. Written by Claude from the standard method, not from a tested source, and not yet cooked.

No source recorded.