What is Lefse?
Lefse is a traditional Norwegian flatbread made from potatoes and served with butter and sugar, then rolled up for a delicious holiday snack. Most Scandinavian families around here enjoy Lefse at their holiday meals. I guess some people use cinnamon sugar, but I’ve never had it that way. It’s probably good though!
My first round.
I made my first batch of Lefse ever this last weekend, and it was really fun! Definitely a learning experience, but my husband said it tasted good (and like it’s supposed to!). I started with his Gramma Louise’s recipe. I got it from his cousin last week and he said that he enjoys reading her recipe cards because it’s like hearing her voice again.
According to Gramma Louise, it’s nice to make a double batch of mashed potatoes so you can have some for dinner. She used to make up a bunch and freeze it, so she had plenty for everyone at all of the holiday get-togethers. I wasn’t that ambitious on my first go and I hope I did her proud!
Tips and tricks.
The dough can be very sticky and after some online research, I hear that keeping the balls of dough in the frig until you’re ready to roll them can help with the stickiness. I used a LOT of flour for rolling. I was kicking myself during the whole process for not getting Lefse lessons from any family members before they passed! But it was a fun process, though very messy. On the other hand, maybe I’m the reason it was so messy!
One of my brothers used to make the Lefse for our holidays, so he has all the tools, but I improvised and it worked out just fine. (Although, upon completing this first batch, I immediately went to Amazon to check out Lefse supplies and placed some on my wish list.) I also don’t have a Lefse griddle, so I used a cast iron pan, which was fine, as the Lefse looked like it was supposed to when I was done.
Let’s make some Lefse!
Tools you might need:
**Hey! Just a heads up — this post might contain affiliate links, where I can get a little extra cash if you buy something through my links–no extra cost to you, promise!
Ingredients:
For the Dough:
- 2 cups mashed potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
5 Tablespoons cream or oil or butter or shortening
For Serving:
- Butter
Sugar
Cinnamon sugar
Tools:
- Mixing bowl
Rolling pin
Lefse grill or griddle (a large, flat, and thin griddle is ideal)
Lefse stick or spatula
Clean cloth or pastry cloth (for rolling and flipping the lefse) or a silicone mat or cutting board (floured)
Lefse turning stick (optional, for flipping)
Directions:
1. Combine the ingredients. The dough should be soft and pliable, not too sticky.
2. Shape into Balls: Divide the dough into approximately 20 equal-sized balls. You can adjust the size depending on your preference. Roll each ball into a smooth sphere (the circle shape takes practice! Don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfect at first).
3. Preheat the Lefse Grill: Preheat your Lefse grill or griddle to medium-high heat, around 450-475°F (232-246°C). It should be very hot for cooking lefse.
7. Roll Out the Lefse:
Roll out one dough ball at a time on a floured clean cloth or pastry cloth or silicone mat, whatever you prefer to use. Use a rolling pin to create a very thin, round (ish), and large lefse, about 10 inches (nothing has to be exact here, I haven’t even figured out how to ensure a perfect circle yet and Gramma L used to make more rectangular shaped Lefse, no one expects perfection with homemade Lefse).
8. Cook the Lefse:
Carefully transfer the rolled-out lefse to the hot griddle. Cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side until it develops light brown spots. You may need to flip it a couple of times to ensure even cooking.
9. Stack and Keep Warm:
As you cook each lefse, stack them on a clean cloth or plate (I used a paper plate and didn’t cover them but they stayed pretty warm).
10. Serve:
Lefse can be served warm with butter and sugar or cinnamon sugar. I have never in my life been served Lefse warm — I’m just saying it’s not required. Maybe your family has a different tradition for serving Lefse, I don’t believe there are any rules about serving, as long as it makes you happy! I hope you enjoy making (and eating) this Lefse recipe!
