Hungarian Langos (Fried Dough with Sour Cream and Cheese)
Deep-fried yeasted flatbread, crisp outside and chewy within, topped with sour cream, grated cheese and garlic.
About This Recipe
Hungarian Langos is a real, traditional Hungarian dish, known as Fried Dough with Sour Cream and Cheese. Deep-fried yeasted flatbread, crisp outside and chewy within, topped with sour cream, grated cheese and garlic.\n\nLángos likely developed from bread baked in the residual heat of wood-fired ovens, and its name refers to the flames (láng) once used for baking; it's now one of Hungary's most beloved street and fair foods.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Hungarian home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.
Ingredients
Serves 6
- 500 gall-purpose flour
- 10 ginstant yeast
- 1 tspsugar
- 1 tspfine sea salt
- 300 mlwarm water
- 2 tbspneutral oil, plus more for frying
- 4garlic cloves(minced, or garlic-infused oil)
- 200 mlsour cream(to serve)
- 150 ggrated cheese (like trappista or mozzarella)(to serve)
Instructions
- 1
Make the dough
Mix flour, yeast, sugar and salt, then stir in warm water and oil until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Knead for 6 minutes.
- 2
Rise
Cover and let rise for 1 hour until doubled.
- 3
Shape
Divide the dough into 6 portions and stretch each by hand into a thin, roughly oval shape about 20 cm across, leaving the center slightly thinner.
- 4
Heat the oil
Heat oil to 180°C (350°F) in a wide pot or deep skillet.
- 5
Fry
Fry each stretched dough piece for about 2 minutes per side until puffed and deeply golden.
- 6
Top and serve
Drain briefly, rub the hot lángos with minced garlic or garlic oil, then top with sour cream and grated cheese while still warm.
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Pro Tips
- →
Stretch the dough by hand rather than rolling it with a pin — this keeps some thicker and thinner spots that create the characteristic uneven, chewy-crisp texture.
- →
Rub the garlic directly onto the hot fried dough right after frying so it perfumes the bread properly.
- →
Serve immediately; lángos is best eaten hot and fresh, losing its crisp edges as it cools.
Variations
- •
A sweet version is topped with powdered sugar or jam instead of savory toppings.
- •
Some vendors add shredded ham as an additional topping.
- •
A garlic-only version, without cream and cheese, is a simpler traditional street-fair style.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.
History & Origin
Lángos likely developed from bread baked in the residual heat of wood-fired ovens, and its name refers to the flames (láng) once used for baking; it's now one of Hungary's most beloved street and fair foods.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my lángos dense instead of light?
The dough may not have risen long enough, or was rolled too thin and even — stretching by hand with some thickness variation helps create the right chewy-crisp texture.
Can I bake this instead of frying?
You can, but it won't achieve the same crisp, slightly greasy signature texture that defines lángos as a fried street food.
What toppings are most traditional?
Garlic, sour cream and grated cheese is the most classic Hungarian combination, though plain garlic-rubbed lángos is also traditional and simpler.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (220g / 7.8 oz) · 6 servings total
Time Summary
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