• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Jo Cooks

Simple - Easy - Comfort

Join my free recipe email club!
Free eBook
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
    • The Big Book of Jo’s Quick and Easy Meals
    • 30-Minute One-Pot Meals
  • ABOUT JO
  • Contact
  • Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Dinner Ideas
  • Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • One Pot
  • Desserts
Home / Recipes
2 hours 55 minutes
4.6 from 15 votes
43 Comments

Feta Fry Bread

Jump to RecipePrint RecipeJump to Video
  • 193
by: Joanna Cismaru
10.01.20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Feta Fry Bread a.k.a. “Langosi cu Branza” – a traditional Romanian popular street food. Delicious fried dough filled with feta cheese that’s a favorite at my house and one of my most requested snacks!

a stack of feta fry bread with the top pieces cut into quarters

You may see this as just fried dough filled with feta cheese, but for me it’s so much more than that. This langosi recipe makes me very nostalgic.

When I was a little girl, growing up in Romania, I went to a grade school that was a 5 minute walk from our home. My sister and I would walk to school every day. On the left side of the school there was an old movie theatre and across the street a market where they would sell “langosi cu branza” and you could smell it for miles. Even now just thinking about it, the smell of this cheesy fried dough comes to my mind.

What is Feta Fry Bread?

So what exactly is feta fry bread, aka, langosi cu branza? This deep fried dough is a street food staple in Eastern Europe and for a good reason. It’s perfectly crisp on the outside, pillowy soft on the inside, and filled with salty melty cheesy feta.

The most literal translation I could come up with for “Langosi cu branza” would be “donuts with cheese”, but to me a donut is sweet so this translation just won’t do. For the purpose of this post we’ll just call it feta fry bread and it is amazing. Every time I go back to Romania, this is something I always get and it never lets me down. It’s just as good as I remember it from when I was a kid!

Feta Isn’t The Only Filling

This dish is also popular in Greece, where they craft this dish as more of a cheese filled pie. In Greece sometimes they drizzle their fry bread with honey or stuff the dough with things like halloumi cheese, fresh mint, oregano, basil, or dill.

overhead shot of ingredients needed to make feta fry bread

Ingredients

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Dough

  • Yeast – We’re using active dry yeast today. For info on your yeast I’ll include a section below!
  • Sugar – This acts as food for your yeast to allow it to activate.
  • Water – We want lukewarm water today. Hot water will kill your yeast and it won’t activate in cold water.
  • Flour – All-purpose is ideal but bread flour will also work.
  • Salt – Use as much or as little as you prefer.

Filling

  • Feta cheese – Crumbled up well. If you don’t have any on hand you can always use ricotta with some salt added

Oil

  • Vegetable oil – We want something neutral tasting with a high smoke point. Canola, sunflower, or safflower oils will also work.
process shots showing how to make feta fry bread

How To Make Feta Fry Bread

  • Combine the dough: In a small bowl mix the sugar, yeast and water. Let it sit for about 15 minutes until the yeast gets foamy. In the bowl of a mixer, add the flour, salt and mix. Add the yeast mixture and using the dough hook knead it for about 5 minutes. The dough will be quite sticky and elastic.
  • Let the dough rise: Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Keep in a warm spot and allow the dough to double in size, anywhere from 1 to 2 hours.
  • Heat the oil: Heat about 1 cup of vegetable oil in a large frying pan.
  • Assemble the dough: While the oil is heating up, cut the dough into 8 equal pieces, you might need to oil your hands, so the dough doesn’t stick to them. Roll out each piece into a circle that’s about 4 inches in diameter. Add 1/4 cup of feta cheese in the middle and bring up the sides of the dough and form into a ball, covering up the cheese. Roll out the ball with cheese so that it’s about 6 inches in diameter, the cheese may stick out a bit, but that’s OK.
  • Fry the dough: Fry one piece of dough at a time about 3 min per side or until golden brown, checking often to make sure it doesn’t burn. You’ll notice as it fries the dough will bubble up. Repeat with remaining dough pieces. Serve warm and enjoy!
overhead shot of a bunch of feta fry bread on parchment paper

Some Tips

  1. Make sure your dough isn’t too thick otherwise it may not cook properly when frying
  2. It’s important to only fry one piece of dough at a time to allow it the space to spread and brown properly, believe me it will take a bit longer but the result is worth the wait
  3. You can always add fresh herbs to your filling if you’d like to spice it up a bit. Herbs like oregano, dill, mint, or basil.

The Oven Is The Best Place For Dough To Rise

Your oven is a great tool for yeast dough recipes like these that need to rise. Preheat your oven to the lowest temperature it will go, then turn it off to ensure that your oven is nice and warm without being too hot. This is the best way to make sure your dough rises enough so your langosi turn out just like mine!

feta fry bread broken in half

Get The Most Out Of Your Yeast

  1. Always check the expiration date on your yeast and make sure it isn’t dead. All your yeast products, whether it’s in a jar or a package, should be stamped with a “Best if Used by” date. Always make sure you check this date, even when you purchase the yeast.
  2. To keep your yeast fresh and longer lasting, unopened yeast packages or jars should be stored in a cool or dry place such as your cupboard.
  3. Store opened yeast containers in the freezer. Make sure you take out the amount you need and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before you need to use it.
  4. One thing to remember about your yeast is that it is a living organism and over time it will lose activity, even if you’ve never opened the jar or package. So if you don’t bake often, buy the smaller yeast packages rather than a big jar of yeast. Yeast may even die before the date on your package.
  5. If after dissolving the yeast in the lukewarm water with the sugar the yeast didn’t start to froth up, do not continue with the recipe; your dough will not rise.

Storing Leftover Fry Bread

Langosi freeze quite well; be sure to wrap them in aluminum foil or parchment paper and freeze in freezer bags. To reheat just pop them in the microwave for about a minute (aluminum foil removed).

Dough

To freeze extra dough, form the dough into big pucks and freeze uncovered on a tray. Once fully frozen, about 1-2 hours, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or foil and it will last for about 1 month. Dough can also be stored in the fridge in an oiled freezer bag. It will only last a few days so be sure to use it quickly.

Try These Classic Romanian Recipes:

  • Stuffed Peppers
  • Meatball Soup
  • Romanian Meatballs
  • Cabbage Rolls
  • Romanian Polenta

Check These Recipes Out for More Homemade Bread:

  • Garlic Parmesan Skillet Rolls
  • Artisan Bread
  • Honey Rolls
  • No Knead Bread
  • Pizza Dough Recipe

Looking for more recipes? Follow on… My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram

sliced feta fry bread stacked on top of whole fry bread pieces

Feta Fry Bread

4.6 from 15 votes
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Rise Time: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 55 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 8
Print Pin Rate
Feta Fry Bread a.k.a. "Langosi cu Branza" – a traditional Romanian popular street food. Delicious fried dough filled with feta cheese that's a favorite at my house and one of my most requested snacks!

Equipment

  • Glass Mixing Bowl Set (3 piece)
  • KitchenAid Classic 4.5 Quart Stand Mixer
  • 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

Dough

  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast 1 pkg
  • 1 1/4 cup water lukewarm
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling

  • 2 cups feta cheese crumbled

Other

  • vegetable oil for frying
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • In a small bowl mix the sugar, yeast and water. Let it sit for about 15 minutes until the yeast gets bubbly.
  • In the bowl of a mixer, add the flour, salt and mix. Add the yeast mixture and using the dough hook mix it for about 5 minutes. The dough will be quite sticky and elastic.
  • Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Keep in a warm spot and allow the dough to double in size, anywhere from 1 to 2 hours.
  • Heat about 1 cup of vegetable oil in a large frying pan. 
  • While the oil is heating up, cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. You might need to oil your hands, so the dough doesn’t stick to them. Roll out each piece into a circle that’s about 4 inches in diameter. Add 1/4 cup of feta cheese in the middle and bring up the sides of the dough and form into a ball, covering up the cheese. Roll out the ball with cheese so that it’s about 6 inches in diameter. The cheese may stick out a bit, but that’s OK.
  • Fry one piece of dough at a time, on both sides until golden, about 3 min per side checking often to make sure it doesn’t burn. You’ll notice as it fries the dough will bubble up.
  • Repeat with remaining dough pieces.
  • Serve warm and enjoy!

Video

Recipe Notes

  1. Always check the expiration date on your yeast and make sure it hasn’t expired. All your yeast products whether it’s in a jar or a package should be stamped with a “Best if Used by” date. Always make sure you check this date, even when you purchase the yeast, who knows it could have been on the shelf past its expiry date.
  2. To keep your yeast fresh and longer lasting, unopened yeast packages or jars should be stored in a cool or dry place such as your cupboard. However, you can also store your yeast in the fridge or freezer. If you do store it in the freezer and need to use yeast for your baking, make sure you take out the amount you need and let it sit at room temperature for at least half hour before using.
  3. Once your yeast package or jar has been opened, you must refrigerate the yeast or freeze it in an airtight container.
  4. One thing to remember about your yeast, is that it is a living organism and over time it will lose activity, even if you’ve never opened the jar or package. So if you don’t bake often, buy the smaller yeast packages rather than a big jar of yeast.
  5. Nutrition: Nutritional information is for 1 langos (1 piece of fried dough). Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1langosCalories: 390kcal (20%)Carbohydrates: 50g (17%)Protein: 12g (24%)Fat: 15g (23%)Saturated Fat: 11g (69%)Cholesterol: 33mg (11%)Sodium: 567mg (25%)Potassium: 100mg (3%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 2g (2%)Vitamin A: 160IU (3%)Calcium: 194mg (19%)Iron: 3.2mg (18%)
Course:Bread, Snack
Cuisine:Romanian
Keyword:feta fry bread, fry bread
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!
  • 193

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

30 recipes from around the world cover.

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

red velvet kiss cookies spread out on parchment paper
Previous Post
Red Velvet Kiss Cookies
saucy chicken and sausage over parmesan polenta
Next Post
Saucy Chicken and Sausage over Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment & Rate Recipe Cancel reply

Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Diana says

    April 18, 2022 at 9:11 am

    Can you air fry these? I have a Ninja Foodie I literally never use but I bet it would be healthier. How would one air fry these babies?

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      April 18, 2022 at 10:39 am

      Hi Diana! You probably can, never tried it myself but don’t see why not. Here’s how I’d do it. Preheat the air fryer to 360F and brush the fry bread on each side with some oil or even cooking spray should work. Fry them for about 3 to 4 minutes per side. You are probably only going to be able to fit 1 or 2 in the air fryer. Let me know how they turn out.

      Reply
  2. Samantha says

    July 23, 2021 at 4:14 pm

    We don’t own a stand mixer and thus no dough hook. Any suggestions on making the dough without it?

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      July 23, 2021 at 7:35 pm

      You can still make it, you’ll just have to knead the dough by hand.

      Reply
  3. Xhulio Cooks says

    March 26, 2020 at 10:06 pm

    5 stars
    I love this recipe so much I tried to make it myself and added a few more tips and tricks. I hope this is not going against the guidelines but here is a link, in case you were interested about my technique. https://xhuliocooks.com/recipe/fried-feta-cheese-with-honey/
    Thank you so much and keep rocking.

    Reply
  4. Donna says

    January 15, 2020 at 9:21 am

    I’m salivating just reading this recipe! However — I am allergic to yeast. If I use a soda-based bread recipe, will the rest of the taste and frying still work?

    Reply
    • jo says

      January 16, 2020 at 10:47 am

      Hmm…that’s a good question. So if you want to skip the yeast, I would add some baking powder instead, and then follow the recipe as instructed. Let me know how it works out for you.

      Reply
  5. Dawn says

    December 15, 2019 at 1:16 pm

    I don’t have the kitchen to make my own dough. Could I use a premade frozen dough?

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      December 16, 2019 at 10:17 am

      Yes you can!

      Reply
  6. toni oros says

    December 12, 2019 at 5:01 am

    Memory lane. We called them ‘Placinta ” stuffed with mashed potatoes, or sauerkraut, or some green weed we harvested on the street maybe called “loboda”. I’m whipping up a batch this afternoon… thanks for the memories and a reminder to make.

    Reply
    • jo says

      December 12, 2019 at 7:22 am

      My pleasure!!

      Reply
  7. Susan vanGoethem says

    December 11, 2019 at 8:56 am

    Sadly, my family does not like feta cheese! Could you recommend other cheeses that would work too? This sounds delicious!

    Reply
    • jo says

      December 11, 2019 at 9:57 am

      You could probably use a number of cheese, as mentioned ricotta would work, even mozzarella would be great.

      Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Joanna Cismaru

Hey there!

I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More…
cover for the big book of jo's quick and easy meals.

My Cookbook

Order Now: Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Books-A-Million

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

Sign me up

Dinner Favorites

black pepper chicken on a bed of rice on a black plate.

Black Pepper Chicken

a slice of pastitsio on a black plate.

Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

side view shot of a piece of eggplant parmesan with marinara sauce in a white plate garnished with parsley and a piece cut out and held by a fork

Eggplant Parmesan

side view shot chicken souvlaki skewers with a little tzatziki on a plate

Chicken Souvlaki

yakisoba noodles with chicken and vegetables in a large serving platter.

Yakisoba

pouring lemon sauce over fried chicken.

Chinese Lemon Chicken

a chicken gyro wrapped in paper and topped with lots of tzatziki sauce with another gyro in the background

Chicken Gyros

homemade hamburger helper lasagna from scratch in a skillet.

One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna

Air Fryer Recipes

a roasted chicken on a serving platter along some roasted root veggies.

Air Fryer Whole Chicken

apple pie bombs on a white plate with the top one cut in half.

Air Fryer Apple Pie Bombs

3 cooked chicken breasts on a cutting board.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast

air fried chicken drumsticks in a basket of an air fryer.

Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks

cooked chicken thighs in the basket of an air fryer.

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

eggs inside an air fryer basket.

Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs

lobster tails on a white serving platter.

Air Fryer Lobster Tails

hands pulling apart a mozzarella stick with the rest in the background

Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

freshly made bread in air fryer on a cutting board cut into slices.

Air Fryer No Knead Bread

bacon wrapped water chestnuts on a white serving platter.

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Jo Cooks...

Flavors from around the world

No matter what household we have all grown up in, there is something that has brought us all together here and that is a love and appreciation of food. Food that is from cultures and cuisines across the world has always been a staple of the blog. I'm excited to bring you all a taste of each corner of the earth, every last bite seasoned to perfection and served up with love - from my kitchen to yours.
chow mein in a white asian bowl.

Asian

caprese gnocchi in a sheet pan.

Italian

chicken fajita taquitos with sour cream and salsa on a white platter.

Mexican

chicken and mushroom in creamy dill sauce over a bed of rice in a blue bowl.

Romanian

freshly made lamb korma in a beige braiser.

Indian

freshly made hummus drizzled with olive oil and garnished with tomatoes cucumbers and olives.

Middle Eastern

Trending Now

overhead shot of oven baked chicken breasts in a baking dish

Baked Chicken Breast

overhead shot of oven baked chicken thighs in a pan

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

roast chicken with roast potatoes on a roaster.

Roast Chicken

a prime rib roast sliced on a plate

Prime Rib Roast

Browse All
  • Easy Dinners
  • Instant Pot
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Desserts
  • Recipe Index

Featured On

today logo.
huffpost logo.
the washington post logo.
jezebel logo.
countryliving logo.
good housekeeping logo.
lifehack logo.
buzzfeed logo.
mashable logo.
woman's day logo.
health logo.
better homes & gardens logo.
delish logo.
healthline logo.
nbc news logo.
blogloving logo.
university of washington logo.
shape logo.
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
  • About Jo
  • Contact
  • visit my other site: Craving Home Cooked
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
© 2022 · All Rights Reserved · Back to Top
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

Subscribe and get a free dinner recipes ebook!