Hungarian lángos — the famous fried flatbread with sour cream, cheese and garlic

Lángos is the traditional Hungarian fried flatbread — it used to be baked in the front part of the bread oven and served hot on the morning of baking day, as Wikipedia also explains. Today it is sold at every station, fair and market in Hungary and across Eastern Europe, and the classic version is served with sour cream sauce (tejföl), grated cheese and garlic.

Ingredients (for 8 pieces)

• 500 g flour
• 300 ml lukewarm water (or half water, half milk)
• 7 g dry yeast (or 20 g fresh yeast)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus oil for frying

For serving: 200 g sour cream, 150 g grated cheese, 2–3 garlic cloves, dill or spring onions to taste.

Preparation steps

1. Dissolve the yeast with the sugar in the lukewarm water and leave for 10 minutes until it foams.
2. In a large bowl, put the flour with the salt, add the activated yeast and the oil; knead for 8–10 minutes until a soft, elastic dough forms.
3. Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise in a warm place for 45–60 minutes, until it doubles in volume.
4. Divide the dough into 8 balls; roll each one out by hand into an oval flatbread of about 15 cm (the centre slightly thinner than the edges).
5. Heat plenty of oil in a deep pan (170–180°C). Fry the flatbreads one at a time, 1–2 minutes per side, until golden.
6. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
7. Rub the hot flatbreads with the garlic clove, spread with sour cream and sprinkle with grated cheese and dill or spring onions.
8. Serve immediately, hot.

Preparation time: ~20 minutes + 60 minutes dough rising; frying ~15 minutes. Servings: 8 pieces.