Recipes

Potato Lefse

Flatbreads · Norwegian · Potatoes · Vegetarian

Potato Lefse
Prep 1 hr + 4 hr chilling
Cook 30 min
Serves 12 lefse
Level Medium

Norwegian potato flatbread: chilled riced potato, butter and cream bound with a little flour, rolled so thin you can read through it, and cooked on a hot dry pan.

Untested: not yet made in this kitchen. It is here for the Flatbreads section and is adapted from the source named in the Notes.

Ingredients

  • 1.02 kg (2½ pounds) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

Salt, for the cooking water

  • 70 g (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • 75 g (5 tablespoons) heavy cream
  • 6 g (2 teaspoons) Diamond Crystal kosher salt (half by volume if table salt)
  • 8 g (2 teaspoons) sugar
  • 150 g (1¼ cups) all-purpose flour, plus plenty for rolling
  • 1 teaspoon neutral oil, for the pan

Directions

  1. Cook the potatoes. Cover with cold water by an inch, salt it, and bring to a gentle boil. Cook 12–15 minutes until completely tender. Drain, then return to the pot over low heat for 1–2 minutes to steam dry.
  2. Rice the potatoes while hot (about 750 g). Stir in the butter until melted, then the cream, salt and sugar.
  3. Chill uncovered at least 4 hours, or up to 24, until cold and firm.
  4. Dough. Break up the potato, sprinkle the flour over, and mix about 1 minute to a cool, pliable, slightly tacky dough. Divide into 12 pieces (about 80 g), press into discs, flour them, and keep covered.
  5. Roll. On a lightly floured pastry cloth or towel, flatten a disc to 3–4 inches, dust with flour, and roll from the centre outward with short, light strokes, turning often and using plenty of flour, to about 10 inches and nearly see-through.
  6. Cook. Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high. Heat the oil until shimmering, then wipe it out. Lift the lefse in carefully and cook about 1 minute, until bubbled and freckled; flip and cook 30–45 seconds. Alternate rolling and cooking, stacking them as they come off.
  7. Serve with soft butter, rolled or folded, and sugar or cinnamon sugar if liked.

Notes

Source Adapted from Jed Portman, “Midwestern Potato Lefse,” Serious Eats. PJ Hamel’s King Arthur Baking “Lefse” is a smaller batch of 12 six-inch rounds on a 375 °F griddle.

Equipment A round lefse griddle and a long flat turning stick are traditional; a large skillet does the job. The Norwegian griddle is a takke.

Keeping 3 days in the fridge, 6 months frozen.

The Flatbreads section of the Breads pages on the Food site covers the history, the science and the griddles.