To make potato lángos, first peel the potatoes, cut them into cubes, and put them on to boil in salted water.

Meanwhile, proof the yeast in a small bowl. To do this, add 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp flour, and the yeast to 1/2 cup (100 ml) lukewarm milk. It will foam up in about 10 minutes.

Once the potatoes are cooked, meaning completely soft, and the yeast has foamed up, it is time to make the potato lángos dough.

Drain the potatoes, and press the still-warm potatoes into the bowl of flour with a potato ricer. Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) lukewarm milk and the proofed yeast.

Lángos dough, especially potato lángos dough, is quite soft. The easiest way to handle it is to beat it, so to speak, with a wooden spoon. This means holding the bowl with one hand and, with a larger wooden spoon in your other hand, striking the dough firmly toward yourself. It is not easy, but it is worth the effort. In a few minutes the dough will become smooth and even, and then you can stop.

Sprinkle the top with flour and let it rest, covered, for about 1 hour.

As the last step, shape and fry the lángos. To do this, first start heating oil for frying in a larger pot. Lángos is fried in plenty of oil; the fat should be at least 2–2 1/2 inches (5–6 cm) deep.

With oiled hands, tear off roughly palm-sized pieces of the risen dough and gently shape them into balls. Put them on an oiled tray so they will not stick together.

When the oil is hot enough, stretch the dough balls out with your hands. You can do this on the oiled surface, or by lifting the dough up. The thinner you stretch the middle, the crispier it will be. This is really a matter of taste.

Carefully place the dough in the hot oil and fry both sides until golden. It cooks very quickly, no more than 1–2 minutes per side, so watch it carefully so it does not burn.

Take out the finished potato lángos and drain off the fat, as much as you can. Serve warm, however you like!