Hungarian Langos with Garlic Oil, Sour Cream, Grated Cheese and Fresh Dill

Make the dough: whisk flour, instant yeast, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add warm milk and oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky — the dough should be softer than bread dough. It will stick lightly to your hands, which is correct. Over-worked dough produces tough langos. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and leave in a warm place to rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.

Ingredients

• For the dough:
• 500g (3.5 cups) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 7g (1 sachet) instant dry yeast
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 300ml (1.25 cups) warm whole milk (or half milk, half water — milk gives a softer, richer dough)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (sunflower is traditional in Hungary)
• For frying:
• 1 liter neutral oil (sunflower) for deep-frying — langos must be submerged, not pan-fried
• For the garlic oil topping:
• 6 large garlic cloves, crushed to a paste
• 4 tbsp neutral oil
• Pinch of fine salt
• For the classic toppings (apply in this order):
• 200ml (3/4 cup) full-fat sour cream (tejföl — Hungarian sour cream is thicker and milder than American varieties)
• 150g (5 oz) trappista or edam cheese, finely grated (soft, mild Hungarian cow's milk cheese — mozzarella is an acceptable substitute)
• Small bunch fresh dill, roughly chopped
• Optional additions: thinly sliced pickled jalapeños, smoked ham, or a fried egg on top

Instructions

1. Make the dough: whisk flour, instant yeast, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add warm milk and oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky — the dough should be softer than bread dough. It will stick lightly to your hands, which is correct. Over-worked dough produces tough langos. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and leave in a warm place to rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
2. Make the garlic oil: crush garlic cloves to a paste with a pinch of salt using the flat of a knife. Combine with oil. The garlic should perfume the oil completely. Set aside at room temperature — the longer it sits, the more pungent it becomes. Freshly made garlic oil is non-negotiable for langos; the sharp raw garlic is what makes the dish.
3. Shape the langos: punch down the risen dough. Divide into 6 equal portions (about 130g each). On a lightly floured surface, stretch each portion by hand into a rough oval about 20cm across — do not use a rolling pin, which compresses the air bubbles. The dough should be about 1cm thick at the center and slightly thinner at the edges. Holes are fine; they add character.
4. Heat the oil: pour oil to a depth of at least 5cm in a wide, deep pot. Heat to 180°C (355°F) — test with a small piece of dough; it should rise immediately and begin bubbling vigorously. Temperature control is critical: too hot produces raw centers and burnt exteriors; too cool produces oily, dense langos.
5. Fry the langos: carefully lower one shaped dough into the hot oil. It will puff dramatically within the first 30 seconds, rising to the surface. Fry for 2-3 minutes per side, pressing the langos gently below the oil surface with a slotted spoon if it bobs too high. The finished langos should be deep golden-brown on both sides, puffed, and hollow-sounding when tapped. Drain on a wire rack — not paper towels, which make the underside steam and go soggy.
6. Top and serve immediately: langos must be eaten fresh from the fryer — within 5 minutes. Brush the surface generously with garlic oil while still piping hot. Spread a thick layer of cold sour cream over the surface (the contrast of scorching fried dough and cold cream is the point). Scatter grated cheese over the sour cream — it melts slightly from the heat. Finish with fresh dill.
7. Langos (lángos — literally 'flame-cakes', from the old Hungarian word for flame) dates to the time when bread dough was cooked at the mouth of a wood-burning oven in the residual heat of dying flames. Today, it is Hungary's most beloved street food — found at every Hungarian beach resort, market, and festival. At Lake Balaton in summer, the queue for a fresh langos from a lakeside stall is as integral to the experience as the water itself.