Basic Lefse: Norwegian Potato Flatbread
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The Spruce / Cara Cormack
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving) | |
---|---|
73 | Calories |
2g | Fat |
12g | Carbs |
1g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 8 to 10 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 73 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 2g | 3% |
Saturated Fat 1g | 6% |
Cholesterol 5mg | 2% |
Sodium 76mg | 3% |
Total Carbohydrate 12g | 4% |
Dietary Fiber 1g | 4% |
Protein 1g | |
Calcium 17mg | 1% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
Perhaps no food is more beloved by Norwegians than potato lefse. Prepared on special lefse griddles and turned with a long lefse stick, this paper-thin potato bread is best served warm with butter and sugar.
Lefse is a traditional holiday food among Norwegian-Americans in the U.S., so you might include it on the menu if you are entertaining guests for Christmas. It can be a family project, much like tamale-making, with different family members involved in rolling out the dough and cooking on the griddle.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Idaho russet potatoes (about 5 large potatoes)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (or evaporated milk)
- 1 tablespoon butter (softened)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup flour​
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 175 F.
The Spruce / Cara Cormack -
Peel the potatoes, making sure that no peels or eyes remain. Coarsely chop them into 1-inch pieces.
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In a stockpot, bring water to a boil and add the potatoes. Boil them until they are fork-tender.
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Drain the boiled potatoes well, then place them in the warm oven for 15 minutes to dry them further.
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Remove the potatoes from oven and pass the potatoes through a ricer. (You should have about 4 cups of riced potatoes.)
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Mix in the heavy cream (or evaporated milk), butter, sugar, and salt.
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Place in refrigerator and chill overnight.
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Preheat a lefse griddle or cast iron griddle to 425 F. Use a pastry blender to cut the flour into the chilled potatoes.
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Pinch off pieces of dough the size of a biscuit and form into balls. An ice-cream scoop works well for this.
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Flour a pastry cloth or board and rolling pin. Roll out each piece into a 12-inch circle, dusting with more flour as needed.
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Carefully lift the circle with a lefse stick or the handle of a flat wooden spatula or spoon and transfer it quickly to the griddle.
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Bake the lefse on the griddle until brown spots begin to appear.
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Flip and cook the other side.
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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 lefse.
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Serve the lefse with butter and sugar.
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Tips
- When you are selecting your potatoes to make lefse, ensure to use the driest, mealiest potatoes you can find.
- Lefse can also be frozen for up to six months. To freeze them, fold the cooled lefse into quarters, place them in zip-top freezer bags, and freeze. When you are ready to use them, remove them from the freezer and put them on a plate lined with paper towels. Allow them to come to room temperature and reheat before serving.
How to Use
While the traditional way to eat lefse is simply with butter and sugar, you can use lefse in just about any way you would use a tortilla or wrap. Feel free to be creative with this flatbread.
- Lefse can be filled with savory fillings like tuna salad or chicken salad for a quick lunch.
- Smear them with cream cheese and add deli meats or leftover cooked meat for a rollup.
- Enjoy them like a crepe with jam, Nutella, or cranberry sauce.
- Make a breakfast lefse with scrambled eggs and bacon.
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