Lefse – Norwegian Potato Flatbread
You’ll LOVE Lefse — a cozy Norwegian Potato Flatbread that is just begging for a generous smear of butter. Make a batch for your next holiday!
I didn’t know what it was until I met my (now ex) husband. I had to work on our very first Thanksgiving together as boyfriend and girlfriend, but Jess drove an hour to visit me and bring me a plate of food from his family dinner. That plate included something called “Lefse,” a Norwegian flatbread that resembles a tortilla, only softer and richer due to the fact that it’s made with mashed potatoes, butter, and heavy cream.
Have you ever had potato bread? Lefse is kinda like that — only rolled super thin and absolutely amazing when served warm with butter. It’s so soft and tender and absolutely melts in your mouth — everyone should try it at least once!
Since it was such an important part of family tradition, I decided to learn how to make it myself! Not only does that allow us to eat it fresh off the griddle, but we can have it more often than just on Thanksgiving. It’s incredibly easy and super inexpensive to make — all it takes is a bit of planning. In order for it to turn out right, you have to start the process the day before you’ll be cooking it.
We’ve always eaten ours lightly buttered and wrapped around turkey, dressing, and mashed potatoes with Thanksgiving dinner, but it can also be enjoyed wrapped around hot dogs or smoked sausages, or sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. I’ve found that leftovers reheat well in the microwave wrapped in damp paper towels.
You can see the step by step process in the above video. Seriously one of my favorite things to make in the universe and I’m so happy to share this special part of our holidays with you!!
Enjoy :)
Ingredients
- 4 cups peeled and diced russet potatoes (about 3 medium potatoes)
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 - 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- DAY ONE: Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender but NOT mushy, approximately 10-12 minutes. The potatoes should pierce easily but not fall apart. Drain potatoes. Lay foil out on your countertop and spread potatoes on top in a single layer to dry for about five minutes.
- Using a potato ricer, press potatoes into a large bowl. Using a sturdy rubber spatula, mix in the butter, cream, sugar, and salt until smooth and combined. Place the bowl in the refrigerator uncovered overnight to allow the potatoes to dry out.
- DAY TWO: Preheat griddle to 475 - 500.
- Prepare your work space by covering a large cutting board tautly with a flour sack towel. Dust the towel well with flour, spreading all over the surface. Dust a Lefse rolling pin (a regular rolling pin can also be used) with flour as well.
- Remove the potatoes from the refrigerator and break them up with your spatula. Add 1 cup of flour and mix it in with your hands to form a dough. Add about another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour one heaping Tablespoon at a time until dough is formed. Dough will be sticky, but you should be able to pinch a bit between your fingers without it sticking.
- Divide your dough into quarters and the quarters into thirds. Working one piece at a time, roll dough into a ball between your hands and place on prepared work surface. Pat lightly into a round, then begin rolling, adding more flour as necessary. Flip and Lefse often, adding more flour underneath and rolling as thin as possible. Using a dowel or a chopstick (I use a butter knife), scoop the Lefse off of the work surface and place on griddle. Let cook for a couple of minutes until spotted brown, then flip and cook for a couple of minutes more. Removed finished Lefse to a plate and cover with a flour sack towel. Repeat.
- Serve warm with butter (or wrapped around turkey or hot dogs!).
Notes
**adapted from Baking with Julia cookbook
You can find a potato ricer HERE.
You can find a Lefse rolling pin HERE.
You can find flour sack towels HERE.
I hope you love this as much as we do! Have a great day, friends!
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You have to try it with sugar or cinnamon / sugar sprinkled on it. Yummy.
ooh, will do! Sounds so good :)
I grew up eating it with butter and brown sugar on it. I am the only grandchild that still makes it so I am slowly inheriting all of my Grandma’s stuff.
Yessss with brown sugar and butter! That’s how I grew up eating it and it is ridiculously good! I still haven’t learned how to make it, thank you for this! :)
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