Lefse (Norwegian Potato Flatbread)
Lefse is a potato-based Norwegian dish that's great as a dessert, as a side, or as a main course with the appropriate filling. It's similar to a crêpe in that you can add many different fillings to create a different dish each time.
- Prep
- 13 min
- Cook
- 2 hr 21 min
- Total
- 2 hr 34 min
- Servings
- As written in source
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Timings are approximate — worked out from the method, not measured in a test kitchen.
Ingredients
Quantities are retained as written by the source and do not scale automatically. Tap an ingredient to check it off as you go.
Cooking instructions
Equipment
Large pot for boiling potatoes
Equipment
Flat griddle of approximately 16-inch diameter
Equipment
Rolling pin
Equipment
Potato masher
Procedure
Mix mashed potatoes with melted butter.
Procedure
If preparing ahead, refrigerate mixture overnight, and take the potatoes out one hour before beginning the rest of the preparation.
Procedure
Mix sugar, salt, cream, and potato mixture in a large bowl. Gradually stir in flour.
Procedure
Using about 2 tablespoons (or a golf ball-sized chunk) of mix at a time, roll mix into flat, round shapes on a flat, smooth surface. Use flour to keep the mix from sticking to the surface and the rolling pin.
Procedure
Place the round lefse on the griddle, cook until browned on bottom. Flip and repeat.
Procedure
Add toppings, and serve hot!
Visual procedure
Dough mixed and ready to go.
Visual procedure
Putting flour on a flat table, in preparation for rolling out the dough.
Visual procedure
Picking out a sane amount of dough to roll out.
Visual procedure
A bit of dough on a table, in preparation for rolling out.
Visual procedure
Rolling out the batter with a rolling pin.
Visual procedure
Two lefse cooking on a Heritage grill.
Visual procedure
Two lefse cooking on a Heritage grill, nearly ready to be served.
Notes, tips, and variations
A favourite sweet way of serving is to simply spread melted butter on each piece and sprinkle sugar over it, then roll the lefse into a cylindrical shape and serve hot. About 1–2 teaspoons of sugar should do the trick for lefse of about 10-inch diameter.
Notes, tips, and variations
Stirring the flour into the mix may be very difficult, especially in drier climates. An electric mixer might help, or you might consider adding extra cream to the mix in order to ease the process.
Notes, tips, and variations
Your objective when rolling out the lefse is to get it to be very thin. This becomes more difficult as you go because it may begin to fall apart, and even if it doesn't, you may have difficulty prying it up when it's time to transfer it to the griddle.
Notes, tips, and variations
While adding flour to the lefse itself may increase the ease of rolling it out, it may also make the lefse tougher in texture, which is undesirable.
Notes, tips, and variations
It may be useful to hand-pat the lefse until it's about ½–¼ inch thick, then use a rolling pin to roll it out the rest of the way.
Notes, tips, and variations
It might also help to flip the lefse when you're about halfway done rolling it out. This may give you a chance to add more flour to the prep surface, too.
Notes, tips, and variations
As you gain the ability to make thinner lefse, you might try getting larger amounts of the mixture at a time, and producing larger lefse.
Photo: Lance Fisher · CC BY-SA 2.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0 · Photo source and licence
Wikibooks contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Adapted; quantities retained as written. · Original source
Read it through first
Skim all 24 steps before you start — it is the difference between cooking and firefighting.
Scale it
Use the quantities listed in the original recipe. Adjust them manually if making a different batch size.
Storage
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently with a splash of water in a covered pan, rather than blasting it, so nothing dries out.
Approximate values per serving. Worked out from the ingredient list — treat them as a guide, not a measurement.
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