Lefse 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.

LEFSE (POTATO FLATBREAD)

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, cook the potatoes in water till tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Drain.
• Press the potatoes through a potato ricer or grater.
• In a large bowl combine the potatoes and the margarine.
• cool to room temperature add the sugar and salt.
• mix thoroughly with your hands or a wooden spoon.
• stir in one cup of flour, then add the remaining flour to make a stiff dough.
• knead for 4 minutes. Pat dough into a ball.
• preheat griddle to 400 degrees.
• divide the ball of dough into 4 portions, then divide each portion into 4 equal pieces, for a total of 16.
• on a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of dough at a time to a paper thin 10 or 11 inch circle.
• fold the dough onto a spoon handle (or lefse stick, if you have one), carry to the griddle and unroll.
• bake each piece on the griddle for 1-2 minutes each side, or till the lefse bubbles and brown spots appear. turn over and repeat.
• lefse will look dry, but will be flexible, not crisp.
• fold in half and then in half again. cool between cloths and store in plastic bags.
• to serve, unfold and spread with butter, or sprinkle with brown or white sugar.
• roll up to eat.
• to freeze, wrap airtight and store in freezer - thaw in wrapper.

LEFSE (USING HUNGRY JACK POTATOES)

Steps:

• 1. Combine potato flakes and salt in a mixing bowl, set aside.
• 2. Put the 1/4 cup of butter in a 1-cup measuring cup and add enough water to make a full 1-cup measure. Put this into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add this to the bowl with potato flakes, mix well with a fork. Add milk and mix well. Refrigerate until mix is completely chilled. Do not let the surface get dry.
• 3. When dough is chilled, work in flour with your hands. Form into balls that are a little larger than a golf ball. Place in a container lined with a towel. refrigerate overnight.
• 4. The next day, roll out the dough very thin on a cloth covered pastry board dusted with flour. Bake on the Heritage Grill (Lefse Griddle... or any large stove top griddle) that has been preheated to 500 degrees. This recipe makes approximately 12 lefse.
• 5. *** Use a grooved lefse rolling pin to make the lefse. Roll it out very thin. Cook the lefse until bubbles appear, and when you check the underside... the bubble areas are golden brown or a bit darker. Then flip over and wait for the bubbles again.
• 6. Cool and wrap in plastic wrap to keep fresh. Refrigerate.

NORWEGIAN POTATO AND RYE PANCAKE FLATBREADS - LEFSE

Steps:

• Put the mashed potatoes into a large bowl and add the flour, sugar and salt - mix well.
• Add some water - bit by bit, kneading well so it makes a pliable dough.
• Take little balls from the dough - the size of a small egg and roll them out thinly on a well floured surface.
• Heat up a flat griddle, hotplate or skillet and cook the Lefse with a little fat until the dough bubbles.
• Turn them over and cook the other side.
• When the Lefse have been cooked - they should be smooth and soft.
• Eat them as I have suggested in the Introduction!
• For Vegetarian make sure the Fat is from a Vegetable product such as vegetable oil not from an animal product such as lard.

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.