Best Norwegian Potato Flatbread Lefse Recipes

BASIC LEFSE: NORWEGIAN POTATO FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 175 F. Peel the potatoes, making sure that no peels or eyes remain. Coarsely chop them into 1-inch pieces.
• In a stockpot, bring water to a boil and add the potatoes. Boil them until they are fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Drain the boiled potatoes well. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bring them into the hot oven for 15 minutes to dry them further.
• Remove the potatoes from the oven and pass them through a ricer . You need them to be finely riced, so twice through the ricer might give you a better texture. You should have at least 4 cups of riced potatoes.
• Mix in the heavy cream, butter, sugar, and salt.
• Mix well and place the potato dough in the refrigerator, covered, to chill overnight.
• Preheat a lefse griddle or your skillet of choice to 425 F. You need a very hot surface to properly cook the lefse. Use a pastry blender to cut the flour into the chilled potatoes, or vigorously knead the flour in until you have a smooth dough.
• With the help of an ice cream scoop, divide the dough into 16 to 20 biscuit-sized balls.
• Generously flour a pastry cloth or board and a rolling pin. Roll out each piece of dough into a 12-inch circle, dusting with more flour as needed.
• Carefully lift the circle with a lefse stick or the handle of a flat wooden spatula. Transfer it quickly to the griddle.
• Cook the lefse on the griddle until brown spots begin to appear.
• Flip and cook the other side.
• Remove the cooked lefse to a plate lined with a damp clean cloth to cool. Cover with another damp cloth. Continue to cook the remaining dough balls until you've used all of the dough.
• Serve the lefse smeared with butter to taste and a sprinkle or two of sugar.
• Enjoy.

LEFSE (POTATO FLATBREAD)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well.
• Rice the potatoes into a large bowl. Add the evaporated milk, oil, sugar and salt and mix well. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for a few hours and up to overnight.
• When ready to make the lefse, add 2 1/2 cups flour to the potato mixture and mix well. The dough should be sticky and hold together, but not so sticky it's impossible to work with; if necessary, add the remaining 1/2 cup flour. Divide the dough into 2 logs. Cut each log into 9 or 10 pieces and shape into small balls. Work with one dough ball at a time and keep the rest in the fridge.
• Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat (or a lefse grill to 400 degrees F). Generously dust a work surface with flour and flour a rolling pin. Roll one dough ball in flour, then use the heel of your hand to press it into a thick disk. Roll the disc into a circle about 1/4 inch thick, lifting and flipping frequently so it doesn't stick; use more flour as needed.
• Use a large offset spatula to transfer the lefse to the grill pan (or lefse grill). Cook until the lefse is steaming and small bubbles appear on the uncooked side, about 1 minute. Flip and cook for another 1 minute on the second side. Transfer the lefse to a clean dish towel and cover with another. Repeat, stacking the lefse atop one another between the dish towels.

NORWEGIAN POTATO FLATBREAD (LEFSE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line an oven-safe skillet or baking pan with aluminum foil.
• Poke the potato skin all over with a knife and place on the prepared pan.
• Roast in the preheated oven until very tender and easily pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Let sit until cool enough to handle but still very warm.
• Scoop potato flesh out into a bowl. Mash smooth with the back of a spatula until there are no lumps left. You can also use a potato ricer. Add the butter and mix until it disappears. Add the salt, sugar, and cream; mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
• Mix in flour in several additions until the dough is able to be kneaded by hand. Add enough flour to form a soft, but not too sticky, dough. You need to be able to roll it out fairly thin without it falling apart.
• Wrap dough with plastic and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
• Divide dough into 8 portions. Dust each with flour and roll out onto a well-floured kitchen towel to 1/8-inch thick, or thinner.
• Heat a very lightly buttered nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Cook the lefse in the hot pan, poking the surface lightly with a fork, until golden brown blisters form, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Stack on a plate as they're cooked and keep covered with a towel. Serve warm.

NORWEGIAN POTATO AND RYE PANCAKE FLATBREADS - LEFSE

Steps:

• Put the mashed potatoes into a large bowl and add the flour, sugar and salt - mix well.
• Add some water - bit by bit, kneading well so it makes a pliable dough.
• Take little balls from the dough - the size of a small egg and roll them out thinly on a well floured surface.
• Heat up a flat griddle, hotplate or skillet and cook the Lefse with a little fat until the dough bubbles.
• Turn them over and cook the other side.
• When the Lefse have been cooked - they should be smooth and soft.
• Eat them as I have suggested in the Introduction!
• For Vegetarian make sure the Fat is from a Vegetable product such as vegetable oil not from an animal product such as lard.

NORWEGIAN LEFSE

Steps:

• Cover potatoes with water and cook until tender. Run hot potatoes through a potato ricer. Place into a large bowl. Beat butter, cream, salt, and sugar into the hot riced potatoes. Let cool to room temperature.
• Stir flour into the potato mixture. Pull off pieces of the dough and form into walnut size balls. Lightly flour a pastry cloth and roll out lefse balls to 1/8 inch thickness.
• Cook on a hot (400 degree F/200 C) griddle until bubbles form and each side has browned. Place on a damp towel to cool slightly and then cover with damp towel until ready to serve.