Lángos is a disc of yeasted dough, often made softer with a little mashed potato, fried until puffed and blistered and eaten hot from a paper plate. It is sold at markets, beaches along Lake Balaton, festivals and, naturally, at the Hungaroring, where the queues for it can rival the ones for the grandstands. The classic topping is garlic, sour cream and grated cheese, in that order.

The name comes from láng, the Hungarian word for flame, from the days when it was baked at the front of a bread oven. Frying has long since taken over, and nobody has complained.

The dough

Ingredients

• 1 small floury potato such as russet
• 3 1/4 cups (400 g) all purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 g) instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
• 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil

The toppings

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 cups (360 g) full fat sour cream
• 2 cups (200 g) grated Trappista cheese
• flaky or fine salt

Frying

Ingredients

• 6 cups (1.4 liters) sunflower or vegetable oil

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