Potato Lángos (Hungarian fried bread)

Think of Lángos as Hungarian fried bread, with a tender texture of a doughnut inside. These are best served hot and fresh, rubbed with garlic. Other ways to serve them is with sour cream and grated cheese. They're quite simple to make, and would impress your lunch or dinner guests along with a hearty Gulyas soup or stew. This was my first time making this bread, and the flavor and tender texture was exactly as I remembered from my trip to Hungary.

Course Bread, Side

Cuisine Hungarian

Keyword Langos

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 5

Proofing Time 2

Total Time 2 35

Servings

Calories 160kcal

Author Debby - www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Ingredients

1 Russet potato about 10 oz, peeled
1 teaspoon instant yeast or 1-1/2 active dry
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup milk
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. oil
Salt
Oil for deep-frying

Instructions

Peel the potato and cook them until fork tender.
Meanwhile, measure the flour, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Make a well, and add the instant yeast*.
Mash the potatoes, while hot and add the milk. (A food mill works best.) Add to the dry ingredients, and add the oil.
Using a stand-mixer (or you can mix with your hands and elbow grease), knead until the dough becomes elastic (about 5 minutes on medium speed). You want the dough to be soft, but not super sticky. Add more flour, a few tablespoons at a time if necessary.
*Otherwise, if using active dry yeast, use 1/2 cup of the milk (at lukewarm temperature), add the sugar and allow to proof for at least 10 minutes, until foamy.
Cover loosely and allow to rise for 1-2 hours.
Dump the dough onto a floured surface and gently knead. Again, if the dough seems too sticky, add small handfuls of dough until you can handle it without clinging to your hands.
Divide the dough, evenly, into 10-12 balls. With floured hands, press flat and them grab the edge with your fingers-- almost like shaping pizza dough.
Preheat oil until about 250F.
Carefully add one or two shaped breads and fry until golden brown on one side (1-2 minutes). With tongs, turn over and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Drain on a paper towel. While still warm, rub each bread with a fresh clove of garlic. If desired, sprinkle with a little kosher salt.
Likewise, top with sour cream and grated cheese.

Notes

Other ways of enjoying this bread is with sour cream and grated cheese. I serve this bread fresh and hot with Hungary Gulyas soup.

Comfort food!

The next day, I removed the leftover refrigerated dough (I only made four of them the first night). I formed four more lángos, and they turned out great. These really are best fresh and hot, but if you reheat them in a toaster oven it's second best.

Nutrition