lefse

Lefse (sounds like "left sa" ) is a Norwegian flat bread made from potatoes.  I have been making this recipe for about 35 years.  This is very good.

Our family eats this every holiday and sometimes for birthdays.  People eat it with butter and sugar, butter, jams and jellies,and peanut butter.  

Traditionally, you spread it with butter (and sprinkle with sugar - optional), then you roll it on an angle forming it into a huge cigar shape.

It is eaten as a treat... or as a bread to dip into soups and stews.

In the background is a lefse rolling pin (it has grooves).

Lefse (using Hungry Jack Potatoes)

cup(s) hungry jack potato flakes

teaspoon(s) salt

cup(s) butter (or margarine)

cup(s) boiling water (appoximateley)

cup(s) milk

cup(s) flour

Light and delicious, this Lefse recipe comes together easily with only a few simple ingredients. This holiday classic is perfect for any meal of the day.

Lefse

potatoes

salt (divided)

unsalted butter

heavy cream ((60 milliliters))

all-purpose flour ((120 grams))

In a medium saucepan, add the potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and enough water to cover them by 1-inch. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and continue cooking until fork-tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain well.

Immediately press the hot potatoes through a ricer and into a large bowl. (if you don’t have a ricer, press the potatoes through a colander or sieve.) Stir in the butter until just melted and combined. Stir in the cream and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt until fully combined. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, or up to 3 days.

To the chilled mashed potatoes, stir in the flour until well combined. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth, about 1 minute. Roll into a 16-inch long rope, cut into 16 (1-inch) portions, and shape each portion into a ball. Cover with a kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.

Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. On a heavily floured surface, working with one dough ball at a time, roll the ball into a 6-inch circle. Carefully transfer to the skillet. Cook, turning once, until speckled golden brown, about 30 to 45 seconds per side. Repeat with the remaining dough balls, lightly coating the pan with cooking spray and wiping the skillet clean, as needed.

A traditional Norwegian Lefse recipe featuring soft and flavorful potato flatbreads that are delicious with both sweet and savory fillings!

Lefse (Norwegian Potato Flatbread)

starchy potatoes (e.g. Russets) (, peeled and

unsalted butter (, softened at room temperature)

heavy cream

all-purpose flour

sugar

salt

Boil the potatoes until tender all the way through, then thoroughly drain them. While they&#39;re still warm, rice the potatoes into a large bowl. For the fluffiest, smoothest results rice them a second time.  Add the butter and combine it evenly into the potatoes to make a smooth mixture.  Add the heavy cream, sugar and salt and stir to thoroughly combine.  Cover and chill the potato mixture overnight.

The next day, add the flour to the dough and knead to combine. This can be done by hand but for convenience I use my stand mixer with a paddle attachment.  The consistency of the dough should be very soft and pliable but not sticky. Add more flour or liquid as needed.Place the dough on a floured work surface and divide it into 10 equal pieces. Keep the remaining dough covered while you&#39;re rolling out the individual lefse.

Generously flour a pastry cloth or clean, smooth cotton dish towel.  Roll each piece of dough into a ball and lay it on the floured cloth. Press the ball into a flat disk and sprinkle some flour over it. Flour the rolling pin.  Roll the dough into as thin of a sheet as you can, about 1/16th inch, sprinkling over a little more flour as needed to prevent stick and ripping.

Very carefully lift up the lefse and transfer it to the griddle or pan. To do this I use a long icing spatula to easily lift up and transfer the lefse. Heat the griddle or pan over high heat (around 475-500 F). Lightly spray with oil.Place the lefse onto the griddle or into the skillet. Cook on one side for about one minute until it&#39;s speckled with brown spots. If it&#39;s cooking too fast, reduce the temperature. If it&#39;s taking too long, increase the temperature.  Carefully flip the lefse over and cook on the other side for another minute or two until likewise speckled.Transfer the cooked lefse to a large plate/platter or lined baking sheet. Repeat the process for the remaining lefse, fanning them out onto the plate or baking sheet so that they can cool without sticking together.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  See blog post for serving recommendations.

Allow any leftover lefse to fully cool and then wrap them well in plastic wrap. Store them at room temperature where they will keep for several days (inspect them for any signs of mold). Storing them in the fridge tends to dry them out. If you&#39;d like to store them longer or make a large batch for convenience, they can be frozen. Folding them in half or in quarters, place them in a freezer bag or container and freeze them for up to 6 months.

loved the Lefse. Amazon sells a Lefse turning stick.
I remember when I was a little girl walking around with Lefse in my little fist or waiting and watching my Norwegian Grandma making it then spreading it with butter &amp; sugar before rolling it up to hand to me as she spoke to me in Norwegian. 
There is a small town in Iowa (Lake Mills) &amp; was mostly populated by Norwegian immigrants. The amazing thing is that Lefse is sold in the town grocery store (made locally), the downtown diner has English &amp; Norwegian signs &amp; menu.

Really wonderful and easy to follow recipe.  This lefse is delicious, my kind of comfort food.

I really enjoyed this article, Kimberly, you always put so much thought into your research and writing, it brings these recipes to life.  We loved your lefse, we had it for Sunday brunch yesterday.  I'm a long-time fan of your website.  Keep up the wonderful work, you are appreciated.

Thank you for a great website.  I just came across it and it has so many great recipes.

My grandmother and my mother used to make these years ago and somewhere the tradition stopped and I never got the recipe.  I've been wanting to make these for a very long time and seeing your recipe finally gave me the shove I needed.  These are everything I remembered them to be and are such a taste of home and of comfort.  I am so happy to have revived this tradition and look forward to making them with my daughter next time :)

Absolutely super!  These were a tradition in my home growing up.  I made this recipe as written and wouldn't change a thing.

Delicious!  This was my first time making lefse and I really appreciate the detailed instructions with the pictures.  They turned out great and everyone had seconds, which is always a good sign! :)

Oh this was absolutely woooonderful!  My great-grandparents immigrated from Norway and lefse has been a long tradition in our family.  I've made and loved so many of your recipes that I thought I'd give this one a try as well and I'm so glad I did.  As another reader commented, the texture and flavor is excellent.  Thank you for sharing this and for all the background information in your post.

These were lovely!  It's been years since I've had lefse and I had never tried making it.  Your article and instructions gave me the courage to try and I am so happy with the results.  The riced potatoes give this a really tender texture and I love the flavor.  Thank you for such a comprehensive and informative article and the detailed instructions and pictures!

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Lefse (using Hungry Jack Potatoes)

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Top 3 lefse recipes from across the web

The most viewed lefse recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Lefse (using Hungry Jack Potatoes)

Lefse

Lefse (Norwegian Potato Flatbread)

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