Lángos (Hungarian Fried Bread) Recipe

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 5 mins

Rise Time: 80 mins

Total: 100 mins

Servings: 4 servings

265 ratings

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
488	Calories
23g	Fat
62g	Carbs
10g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	488
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g	29%
Saturated Fat 2g	10%
Cholesterol 2mg	1%
Sodium 423mg	18%
Total Carbohydrate 62g	22%
Dietary Fiber 4g	14%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 8mg	40%
Calcium 62mg	5%
Iron 3mg	19%
Potassium 538mg	11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Lángos is a classic Hungarian fried bread, sold everywhere by street carts and vendors. It can be topped with a variety of ingredients but is usually eaten as is. Fluffy and light, this favorite fair food is made from yeasted dough and often with additional mashed potatoes to make krumplis lángos (potato lángos).

Traditionally, when Hungarian people used to bake bread in communal brick ovens, they'd save a piece of dough and bake it off in the morning for breakfast. This piece of breakfast bread gradually evolved into a deep-fried snack like those found in other countries that share cultural backgrounds with Hungary like Turkey, Serbia, Slovakia, Romania, the Czech Republic, and Austria.

These popular snacks are usually served rubbed with garlic, sprinkled with salt, and with some combination of sour cream, onions, kefir, sausage, eggs, yogurt, cheese, ham, or bacon. Our flavorful recipe uses the potato addition and serves it with garlic and salt. This wonderful bread is a great accompaniment to soups, like korhelyleves, and wonderful to enjoy on its own. Eat the lángos freshly made, as it will get mushy when cold; if you made too much dough and don't need to fry many discs, you can keep the dough in the refrigerator for up to a week.

1 large potato, freshly mashed and kept warm
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (rapid-rise or bread machine yeast)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 cup milk
Canola oil, for frying
2 cloves garlic, halved

Make the Dough

Gather the ingredients.

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Place the freshly mashed warm potato alongside the yeast, sugar, flour, oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and milk in a big mixing bowl or standing mixer.

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Using the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients until they are well moistened. If mixing by hand, start the process by mixing with a wooden spoon.

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Switch to the dough hook and knead for 5 to 7 minutes or until smooth and elastic. If mixing by hand, give yourself an extra 5 minutes of working the dough, until it's smooth and not sticking to your hands.

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Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.

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Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Shape each piece into a smooth ball and place it on a lightly floured board. Cover and let rest another 20 minutes.

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Fry the Dough

In a large skillet, heat an inch of canola oil to 350 F.
Flatten and stretch each dough ball to a disc of 8-inch diameter. Make 1 or more slits in the center of the stretched dough with a sharp knife. The slits are traditional but also keep the dough from puffing up in the middle.

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Fry one lángos at a time for about 2 minutes per side or until golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot, rubbed with a cut garlic clove and sprinkled with salt to taste.

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Enjoy.

Where Is Lángos From?

The exact origins of this bread are uncertain. Some reports indicate the snack became part of the Hungarian cuisine many centuries ago when it was introduced by the Turks during their occupation. Others indicate that lángos has Roman roots because of its similarity to flatbread or focaccia.