The first step in making an authentic lángos is proofing the yeast. Mix half a teaspoon of sugar and one tablespoon of all purpose with 100 ml / 2/5 cup lukewarm milk and add yeast. (If you're using instant yeast or active dry yeast, you don't need to proof it. Simply add it to your flour.)

Meanwhile, sift the remainder flour and salt into a big bowl.

Once the yeast is done proofing, pour it over the flour, add the oil and the remainder milk and water. The milk and water must be lukewarm in order to have a nice lángos dough.

Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon or use the dough hook of your mixer. For the dough to be smooth, you must knead it for 5-10 minutes. Lángos dough should be soft and sticky enough that you can’t form little balls of dough from it.

Cover it and let it proof for one hour.

Take a larger tray and oil it generously. Oil your hands as well and divide the dough into 4-6 equal portions. Form balls and place them on the tray. At this point the dough is still not done proofing, so you don’t have to worry about the shape too much. You can make 4 normal-sized lángos or 6 smaller lángos from half a kilogram of flour.

Let it proof on the tray for another 10-15 minutes.

In the meantime, heat some oil in a frying pan. The wider the frying pan and the more oil you have, the better it is for the lángos. That is why I suggest using roughly 1 liter or 1 quart of oil for this recipe.

Once your oil is hot, shape the lángos on the greased tray. Use your hands to pull on the sides and flatten them into circles, 15-20 centimeters or 6-8 inches in diameter. The middle can be quite thin and the sides much thicker.

Place it into the frying pan with a quick movement. Be careful though not to burn yourself! At this point you have about 5 seconds to make some final adjustments to its shape with two wooden spoons before the lángos takes its final form in the hot oil.

Fry it over medium heat for about 1 to 2 minutes on both sides. You know that the lángos is ready when it has a golden color around the edges, but still a few white spots in the middle.

Serve your lángos it fresh. Season it with salt and some crushed garlic mixed in water (yes, you've read it right. That's the way everybody eats their lángos in Hungary). Finish it off with the topping of your choice. Cheese and sour cream are the most popular ones in Hungary.