Main Course Recipes
Langos
4 servings
Langos is my absolute favorite street food snack! I make the rich dough from scratch using quality bread flour, active dry yeasts, and tangy sour cream, then cook it to a perfect golden crisp using the deep frying method in hot frying oil. Once it comes out of the pot, I immediately coat the warm bread with a fragrant garlic brushing mixture, a generous mound of shredded cheese, and finely chopped chives. Read More
Main Course Recipes
Vegetarian
Before You Start
Let’s talk about important parts of the recipe before you start…
Welcome to My Authentic Langos Recipe
Hello everyone, I am Tom the Chef, and today I am showing you exactly how I make Langos, an incredibly filling and popular street food snack native to Hungary and beloved in the Czech Republic! To achieve the perfect soft interior and crispy exterior, I combine bread flour, active dry yeasts, and sour cream into a smooth dough. Once the dough completes its rise, we move on to deep frying each piece in hot frying oil until it reaches a beautiful golden brown. The real magic happens right at the end when we dress the hot, freshly fried pastry with a fragrant garlic brushing mixture, a generous handful of your favorite shredded cheese, and finely chopped fresh chives. I absolutely love making Langos for my family and friends, and I know you will love it too!
Preparing the Dough with Bread Flour and Sour Cream
When I start making my Langos dough, I always make sure to use three cups of high-quality bread flour, though all-purpose flour is a fine substitute if that is what you have on hand. I place the flour into my kitchen mixer equipped with a hook attachment, alongside two teaspoons of active dry yeasts, one teaspoon of confectioners’ sugar, and half a teaspoon of salt. I briefly stir these dry ingredients with a French whisk just enough to combine them, which takes about a minute. The secret to the rich flavor and unique texture of this street food snack is the addition of one cup of warm water heated to about 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and three-quarters of a cup of sour cream. I knead the mixture on low speed to partially incorporate the wet and dry components, and then I increase the speed to medium-high for about three to four minutes until a cohesive dough forms. The sour cream provides a beautiful tanginess that perfectly balances the heavy nature of deep frying in frying oil later on.
Rising the Dough to Perfection
Once the dough for our Langos is perfectly formed, the next crucial step is letting it rise properly. I remove the mixing bowl from the machine and cover it securely with plastic wrap. I always make sure to poke a few small holes in the wrap to let the dough breathe as it rests. It needs to sit in a warm place until it has at least doubled in its original size, which usually takes anywhere from one to two hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen. This essential resting period allows the active dry yeasts to activate fully, fermenting the bread flour and sour cream mixture. This creates those wonderful airy bubbles inside the dough that will puff up dramatically when we finally move to the deep frying stage in our hot frying oil to complete this beloved street food snack.
Creating the Signature Garlic Brushing Mixture
No Langos is truly complete without the signature topping, which is why I always take the time to prepare a proper garlic brushing mixture. I take half a cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and five freshly peeled cloves of garlic, placing them straight into a measuring pitcher. Using my handy immersion blender, I process this blend until it is completely smooth and aromatic. I highly recommend placing this garlic brushing mixture into the fridge for at least an hour before you assemble your street food snack. Giving it time to rest allows the pungent garlic flavors to meld beautifully with the oil. You will use a silicone brush to apply this mixture to the hot pastry immediately after deep frying the bread flour, active dry yeasts, and sour cream dough in your frying oil. It acts as the perfect flavor base before adding the cheese and chives!
Setting Up the Station for Deep Frying
Deep frying can seem intimidating to some, but I am here to guide you safely through cooking this incredible street food snack. I place a large brazier pot on the stove and fill it with about two to three quarts of your preferred frying oil. It is absolutely essential to place a deep fry thermometer into the pot to monitor the heat accurately. I start preheating my frying oil on medium-high heat until it reaches exactly 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remember, keeping a close eye on the frying oil is critical because if it exceeds 400 degrees Fahrenheit, it can become a serious fire hazard. While the oil heats, I work on a lightly floured surface, dividing our bread flour, active dry yeasts, and sour cream dough into four even parts using a dough scraper. I lightly flour the top of each piece and roll it into a flat circle about a quarter-inch thick or less. Keep a close watch on your oil during this step, or shape the dough before heating the oil if you are cooking alone!
The Step-by-Step Deep Frying Process
When my frying oil reaches that perfect 350 degrees Fahrenheit mark, I lower the heat slightly to maintain a consistent temperature between 340 and 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Working strictly one by one, I carefully lower the rolled Langos dough right into the hot oil using my hands, ensuring I do not drop it from far away to prevent any dangerous oil splatter. I let the deep frying happen for about one to two minutes until bubbles visibly start forming on the surface, and then I carefully turn it over to the other side using tongs. I continue deep frying for about three to four minutes until the bottom part turns partially golden white, lifting carefully with tongs to check. Finally, I turn it one last time and fry for an additional two minutes until the other side is partially golden too. I place the hot, cooked bread flour, active dry yeasts, and sour cream dough on a cooling rack and prepare to fry the next one, looking forward to adding our garlic brushing mixture, cheese, and chives!
The Final Assembly with Cheese and Chives
The absolute best time to assemble each Langos is immediately after the deep frying process while the pastry is still piping hot from the frying oil. I generously brush the top of the crispy dough with our prepared garlic brushing mixture using a silicone brush. Next, I sprinkle it with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Then comes the most rewarding part: I add a heavy layer of shredded cheese of your choice, allowing the residual heat of the freshly fried bread flour, active dry yeasts, and sour cream dough to melt it slightly. For a beautiful and flavorful finishing touch, I sprinkle a quarter cup of finely chopped chives over the top. As a fun modification that is not part of the recipe, you could also add diced jalapeños for a spicy kick, but sticking to the garlic brushing mixture, cheese, and chives makes for a fantastic and truly authentic street food snack!
Langos
Ingredients:
Click any ingredient to learn moreLangos dough:
3 cups of bread flour (or all-pourpose flour)
2 TSP of active dry yeasts
1 TSP of confectioners’ sugar
½ TSP of salt
1 cup of water - warm, about 80 to 90°F (preheat in a kettle or microwave)
¾ cup of sour cream
For frying"
about 2 – 3 QT of frying oil (any kind) (after usage and cooling it can be filtered through cheese cloths and/or fine sieve and then used for later frying or cooking – store in refrigerator)
Burshing mIxture:
½ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 cloves of garlic - peeled
Final touch:
2 cups of cheese of your choice - shredded (adjust if needed)
¼ cup of chives - finely chopped (optionally substitute with green onion or leek)
pepper - ideally freshly ground
Nutrition per 1 Serving:(recipe split into 4 servings)
EstimatedCalories 890
Protein 25.2 g
Fat 54.4 g
Saturated fat 18.2 g
Carbohydrate 75.4 g
Sugars 3.3 g
Fiber 3.2 g
Sodium 543 mg
Cholesterol 76 mg
Vegetarian
Estimated. Worked out from the ingredients above using the United States Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central reference data. An estimate, not a measurement — brands, sizes and how much of a marinade actually ends up on the plate all move it.
Directions:
1.Dough:
1.1.
Place into a kitchen mixer with hook attachment:
3 cups of bread flour\
2 TSP of active dry yeasts
1 TSP of confectioners’ sugar
½ TSP of salt
Briefly stir with a whisk just enough to combine all ingredients (about 1 minute).
1.2.
Add:
1 cup of water – warm, about 80 – 90°F (preheat in a microwave)
¾ cup of sour cream
Knead on low speed until all ingredients are partially incorporated (about 1 minute).
1.3.
Then increase speed to medium-high and knead until a dough is formed (about 3 – 4 minutes).
2.Rising the Dough:
2.1.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and cover with plastic wrap (make some holes to let the dough breathe).
2.2.
Let it rise in a warm place until it has at least doubled in size (about 1 – 2 hours).
3.Sauce Preparation:
3.1.
If you decided to prepare homemade tartar sauce and/or ketchup, start with preparation now.
4.Brushing Mixture:
4.1.
Place into a measuring pitcher:
½ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 cloves of garlic – peeled
And process until smooth using an immersion blender.
4.2.
Place into the fridge for later steps (for best results, let rest in the fridge at least an hour).
5.Frying Station Preparation:
5.1.
Place a pot on the stove and add frying oil.
5.2.
Place in a deep frying thermometer (please do not confuse this with a food thermometer).
5.3.
On medium-high heat start preheating your oil at 350°F.
6.Shaping:
Note:
Work one-by-one. The second will be rolled right after you start frying the first one, etc. Always form only one while the other is frying.
Important:
While you are shaping your langoš, keep carefully watching your oil preheating (preferably form it right next to the stove if possible). If the oil gets over 400°F it can set itself on fire, so watching it closely is important. If you are not able to closely watch the oil while shaping your langoš, perform this task before or work in pairs with somebody.
6.1.
Working on a lightly floured surface (countertop), separate the dough into 4 even parts (the size doesn’t need to be exactly even) using a dough scraper (optionally you can create more little ones).
6.2.
Lightly flour the top of each piece, and then roll into a flat circle with a rolling pin (the desired thickness should be about 1/4″ thickness or less).
7.Frying:
Note:
Fry one-by-one.
7.1.
When the oil reaches 350°F, lower the temperature and maintain this temperature.
Note:
It can lightly fluctuate anywhere between 340° and 360°F (keep the temperature by adjusting the burner as needed).
7.2.
Carefully place the langoš right in the oil. Use your hands and be very careful – do not place your hands into the hot oil and also do not drop the langoš from far away so as to prevent oil splatter.
Warning:
Any injuries coming from getting burned by hot oil is your responsibility.
7.3.
Fry for about 1 – 2 minutes until the bubbles start forming. Then turn to another side using tongs.
7.4.
Fry for about 3 – 4 minutes until the bottom part turns partially golden = it can be partially white (after 2 – 3 minutes carefully lift with tongs).
7.5.
Then carefully turn and fry for an additional 2 minutes until the other side turns partially golden – it can again stay partially white too.
7.6.
Place on a cooling rack and fry another one.
8.Assembly:
Note:
Best is to assemble each langoš immediately after frying (or at least soon after). That way all ingredients are nicely incorporated and the cheese lightly melts.
8.1.
Brush with the brushing mixture.
8.2.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
8.3.
Sprinkle with cheese.
8.4.
Optionally, drizzle with a tartar sauce and/or ketchup.
8.5.
Sprinkle with chives.
Popular questions
What makes this Langos street food snack so uniquely flavorful and perfectly crispy every single time?
The secret to my Langos lies entirely in the careful preparation of the dough and the execution of the cooking method! By using strong bread flour, active dry yeasts, and rich sour cream, the dough develops a wonderfully complex flavor and a beautiful airy structure as it rises. When it comes to cooking, deep frying the shaped portions in carefully monitored hot frying oil creates that irresistible crunchy exterior while keeping the inside beautifully soft and chewy. Finally, immediately applying the homemade garlic brushing mixture allows the savory oils to soak into the hot bread, creating the absolute perfect base for the melting cheese and the freshly chopped chives.
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