RECIPE: traditional Hungarian kenyérlángos

One of the most typical Hungarian specialities is kenyérlángos. If you are looking for a traditional old delicacy or want to show foreigners an oven-baked lángos that is most similar to a white pizza or Italian focaccia, this is the perfect choice. You can even find it at festivals, fairs, and Christmas markets, or in supermarkets as a piece-priced pastry. Here’s how to make it homemade, even in a gluten-free version!

The original, Hungarian recipe can be found on the site of Életmagazin.hu.

Ingredients for the dough of kenyérlángos (6 servings):

• 1 kg flour,
• 1 cube fresh yeast (5 dkg),
• 1 tablespoon of sugar,
• 1 tablespoon salt,
• 5 dl water,
• 1/2 dl oil

For topping:

• 4 dl sour cream,
• 2-3 cloves of garlic (you can also use garlic power),
• 2 red onions,
• 30 dkg cheese,
• 20 dkg bacon

You can also add green onions, chives, salami, and sausages to taste, so this recipe could be a good idea for saving leftovers, too. Some also use parsley, dill, or pepper to stir into the sour cream.

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It used to be one of the favourite breakfasts of Hungarians, consumed with animal fat (pork, duck, goose fat). In the regions of Western Hungary and the Southern Great Plain, people usually prepared this pastry with garlic, fat, and sour cream, enriched with homemade bacon on the top. In the northern part of the Great Plain, people often topped kenyérlángos with homemade cottage cheese, salt, and dill.

Preparation:

1. Add the sugar to the lukewarm water and crumble in the yeast. Sprinkle with a spoonful of flour, and set aside until the yeast starts to work.
2. Mix the risen yeast mixture with the flour, water, and oil. Knead the dought well. Rise in a warm place until doubled.
3. Then, divide the dough in two and stretch them to about the width of a finger.
4. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and cover thickly with sour cream mixed with grated or powder garlic. Sprinkle with stripped or diced bacon and thinly sliced red onion.
5. Finally, sprinkle with grated cheese, then place in a preheated oven for about 20-30 minutes and bake at 180°C until red.
6. Serve cut into squares or rectangles.

The gluten-free version of kenyérlángos

You do not have to miss out on this incredibly tasty snack. With a few changes, you can turn the above recipe into a gluten-free one. The preparation is similar to the gluten version, but it is recommended to flatten the dough on the baking tray with a wet tablespoon.

The ingredients for the dough vary as follows:

• 250 g gluten-free flour mix,
• 250 ml water (you will get a soft dough, don’t be surprised),
• 15 g yeast,
• 1 tablespoon of psyllium seed husk,
• 1 teaspoon of salt,
• 1 teaspoon of sugar,
• 1 tablespoon of oil,

The original, Hungarian gluten-free recipe suggests the following proportions of toppings because of the changes in quantity: 1 small can of sour cream, 1-2 red onions and 10 dkg bacon.

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Its external parts are crispy while the inner parts are irresistibly soft. It is suggested to be consumed only fresh and hot. There are so many names for it in different regions: Töki pompos and langalló in the western part of Hungary, while people living in the Great Plain call it kemencelángos or kenyérlángos. It is also known as ‘bodag’ and ‘vakarék’ (scraping), because in the old times, it was made from the part of the bread that stuck to the pan.

Source: eletmagazin.hu