Basic Lefse Norwegian Potato Flatbread Recipes

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 FLATBREADS

Steps:

• In medium saucepan over high heat, combine potatoes and cold water to cover. Cover and bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well and force potatoes through ricer or food mill into large bowl. Stir in butter. Add salt and cream and stir until smooth. Add flour and stir until dough forms (do not overmix). Cover and chill at least 6 hours and up to 3 days.
• In small bowl, whisk together sugar and cinnamon. Lightly oil 10-inch cast iron skillet and set over moderately low heat. Have ready rolling pin, pastry bench scraper, and thin metal spatula.
• Turn dough out onto well-floured work surface. Using pastry bench scraper, cut in half and return half to bowl. Cut other piece in half again; cut 1 piece into 8 small pieces and reserve other piece.
• Pat 1 small piece to flatten. Dough may be very soft and sticky, depending on moisture content of potato - add some of 3 cups flour as needed to prevent sticking. Using scraper, flip dough over and pat again to flatten. Roll patty out to 7-inch circle.
• Using pastry bench scraper, carefully transfer flatbread to hot skillet and cook until dough bubbles and is beginning to brown underneath, less than 1 minute. Using thin, flexible metal spatula, flip flatbread over and cook other side until lightly brown, about 1 minute. Transfer to plate and brush off any excess flour. Scrape any excess flour out of skillet.
• Repeat rolling and cooking with 8 small pieces of dough, then divide remaining piece of dough on counter into 8 pieces and roll and cook each piece. Repeat process with remaining dough in bowl to make 32 flatbreads.
• To serve, brush warm lefse with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, and roll up. Serve warm.

NORWEGIAN POTATO LEFSA

Steps:

• Peel potatoes and place them in a large pot with a large amount of water. Bring water to a boil, and let the potatoes boil until soft. Drain and mash well.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine 8 cups mashed potatoes, cream, butter, salt, and sugar. Cover potatoes and refrigerate over night.
• Mix flour into the mashed potatoes and roll the mixture into balls about the size of tennis balls, or smaller depending on preference. Keep balls of dough on plate in the refrigerator.
• Taking one ball out of the refrigerator at a time, roll dough balls out on a floured board. To keep the dough from sticking while rolling it out, it helps to have a rolling pin with a cotton rolling pin covers.
• Fry the lefsa in a grill or in an iron skillet at very high heat. If lefsa brown too much, turn the heat down. After cooking each piece of lefsa place on a dishtowel. Fold towel over lefsa to keep warm. Stack lefsa on top of each other and keep covered to keep from drying out.

LEFSE- NORWEGIAN FLAT BREAD

Steps:

• Peel and cut potatoes. Boil in well salted water until soft. Use more salt than you normally would. You do not want to add salt once they are cooked as it will not dissolve as well.
• Drain well and return to pot. Steam for a few minutes to ensure all water has been evaporated.
• Measure out 4 cups of potatoes, packed well. Rice potatoes now while potatoes are still hot. You may have potatoes left over.
• Place riced potatoes in a plastic bowl with a good sealing lid. Add butter and milk and mash with a HAND masher. Do NOT use an electric mixer as it will get sticky.
• Allow to cool on the counter until potatoes are at room temperature then place several paper towels on top, seal tightly with the lid and place in the refrigerator overnight.
• Next day: Much easier to work with. Mix in flour and sugar and form into small balls. Now roll them out thin and flat using a rolling pin, preferably one with grooves and covered with a sock. You can just cut an old CLEAN sock and slide it over the rolling pin.
• Using a lefse stick or a long flat stick or long thin spatula roll the raw lefse around the stick and then unroll onto a HOT griddle (450 degrees) Flip once the first side starts to form bubbles and is lightly browned or freckled. Cook other side just until lightly browned.
• Using stick again remove lefse from griddle to a towel and place a towel on top to keep them warm and pliable.
• Eat warm or store in the refrigerator in a well sealed container lined with more paper towels. Can also be frozen with waxed paper between each lefse.

LEFSE

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until tender, 10-12 minutes. Drain. Press through a potato ricer or strainer into a large bowl. Stir in cream, shortening, sugar and salt. Cool completely. , Preheat griddle over medium-high heat. Stir flour into potato mixture. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 6-8 times or until smooth and combined. Divide into 12 portions. Roll each portion between 2 sheets of waxed paper into an 8-in. circle., Place on griddle; cook until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove to a platter; cover loosely with a kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining portions. When cool, stack lefse between pieces of waxed paper or paper towels and store in an airtight container.

LEFSE - SCANDINAVIAN POTATO FLATBREAD

Steps:

• When potatoes are cool enough to handle, add salt and butter; mash.
• Chill.
• Mix baking powder with a small amount of flour and add to potatoes.
• Add enough flour so that the dough can be rolled very thinly on a floured board.
• Roll only a small portion at a time.
• Cut into quarters and bake on a hot (400F), lightly greased griddle, browning lightly on both sides.