Norwegian Potato Lefse

Norwegian Potato Lefse

Cuisine: Norway

Norwegian Potato Lefse is soft potato flatbread lefse: riced potatoes mixed with flour and a little fat, rolled paper-thin and cooked on a dry griddle. Potatoes must be dry and cool or the dough turns sticky. Spread with butter and sugar, or savory fillings, then fold.

At a glance

Time: about 1.5 hours · 12 rounds · Difficulty: medium · ≈ 140 kcal per round

Norwegian Potato Lefse is soft potato flatbread lefse: riced potatoes mixed with flour and a little fat, rolled paper-thin and cooked on a dry griddle. Potatoes must be dry and cool or the dough turns sticky. Spread with butter and sugar, or savory fillings, then fold.

Ingredients

  • 3 Lbs Potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Melted Butter
  • 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 1/2 cups All purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup Flour
  • 14 tablespoons Butter
  • 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Heavy Cream

Steps

  1. Boil the potatoes. Peel the potatoes while still warm and run them through a potato ricer twice.
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  3. Let the potatoes cool in an uncovered bowl in the fridge.
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  5. Stir the salt, sugar, melted butter, and cream into the riced potatoes.
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  7. Slowly add the flour and knead by hand until you get a good consistency. Don't add more flour than necessary! Roll the dough into a long sausage and divide into about 7 or 8 pieces if using an 18 inch griddle. If using a smaller griddle or frying pan, divide the dough into 10 – 12 pieces.
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  9. Roll each piece into a ball and then press into a flat circle, using the edges of your hands to form the dough into a nice circle shape without any cracks. This is important, otherwise you won't get round lefser.
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  11. Heat up your griddle on medium/high heat.
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  13. Flour your rolling surface and roll the lefse dough into a large circle slightly smaller than your griddle or frying pan. Begin rolling with a smooth rolling pin, then switch to a corrugated rolling pin as the lefse gets thinner. Don't use too much flour, as then the edges can become hard.
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  15. Roll the lefse onto your lefse stick and then gently unroll it onto your griddle. After a minute or two check the underside of the lefse for brown spots and then use the lefse stick to flip the lefse and cook on the other side.
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  17. Use the lefse stick to remove the lefse from the griddle and place it in a folded damp sheet or tablecloth.

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Time and temperature

Griddle: medium-high · ~1 min per side until brown speckles

Nutrition

140 kcal · Protein 3 g · Fat 4 g · Carbs 24 g

1 round (estimate)

Substitutes

  • Russet potatoes → other floury potatoes
  • Butter in dough → shortening
  • Sugar topping → cinnamon sugar
  • Griddle → large dry skillet

Storage

Stack with parchment; fridge 3 days or freeze. Soften wrapped in a towel when reheating.

FAQ

Dough sticks to the rolling pin?
More flour on the board and cooler dough. Potato flatbread lefse needs dry potatoes.
Why tough lefse?
Too much flour or overworked dough. Keep Norwegian Potato Lefse tender with minimal kneading.
Do I need a lefse stick?
Helpful for transferring thin rounds, but a thin spatula works at home.
Sweet or savory?
Both—butter-sugar is classic; smoked fish or cheese also appear.