Lángos (hungarian Fried Flatbread)

Ingredients

• 500 g all-purpose flour
• to taste instant yeast
• 4 eggs
• 4 tbsp yogurt
• 2 tsp salt
• to taste lard

Steps

1. Combine the flour and yeast.
2. Add the eggs.
3. Mix the yoghurt to make a dough.
4. Add the salt.
5. Knead until the dough is pliant and not too sticky, adding more flour or yogurt as necessary.
6. The correct texture is really a matter of trial-and-error.
7. It’s not unlike an egg pasta dough, but it’s rather less stiff.
8. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl.
9. Cover.
10. Let rise overnight in a cool location, like the refrigerator.
11. Gently deflate the dough.
12. When you’re ready to cook, heat about 2 inches of lard in a pan.
13. The oil should be hot enough that when you put a very small piece of the dough into it, it drops to the bottom.
14. It immediately rises up to the surface frying.
15. Take a lump of the dough (roughly a bit bigger than a ping-pong ball, but rather smaller than a tennis-ball).
16. Flatten it into a disk shape.
17. Do this by hand rather than using a rolling pin—just keep pressing it between fingers and thumbs, and turning it round and round.
18. Make the centre of the disk fairly thin, and the edge rather thicker.
19. It should end up about 8 inches across if possible.
20. Don’t worry over-much about getting it too circular and even.
21. The hand-made look is all part of their attraction.
22. Carefully slide the disk of dough into the hot oil.
23. Let it fry for 30 seconds or so.
24. It should start to puff up as it fries.
25. If it doesn’t, either the oil isn’t hot enough, or the disk is too thick.
26. Carefully turn the dough over.
27. Fry for another 30 seconds or so.
28. Turn it over.
29. See if the underside is golden brown or not.
30. If not, fry for a while longer until both sides are golden brown, with a ‘puffed-up’ surface.
31. Adjust the frying times for subsequent ones accordingly.
32. Remove from the hot oil.
33. Drain away any excess.