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.
Tom the Chef Founder
Let’s talk about important parts of the recipe before you start…
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!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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 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!
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