Potato Lefse Recipes

BASIC LEFSE: NORWEGIAN POTATO FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 175 F. Peel the potatoes, making sure that no peels or eyes remain. Coarsely chop them into 1-inch pieces.
• In a stockpot, bring water to a boil and add the potatoes. Boil them until they are fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Drain the boiled potatoes well. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bring them into the hot oven for 15 minutes to dry them further.
• Remove the potatoes from the oven and pass them through a ricer . You need them to be finely riced, so twice through the ricer might give you a better texture. You should have at least 4 cups of riced potatoes.
• Mix in the heavy cream, butter, sugar, and salt.
• Mix well and place the potato dough in the refrigerator, covered, to chill overnight.
• Preheat a lefse griddle or your skillet of choice to 425 F. You need a very hot surface to properly cook the lefse. Use a pastry blender to cut the flour into the chilled potatoes, or vigorously knead the flour in until you have a smooth dough.
• With the help of an ice cream scoop, divide the dough into 16 to 20 biscuit-sized balls.
• Generously flour a pastry cloth or board and a rolling pin. Roll out each piece of dough into a 12-inch circle, dusting with more flour as needed.
• Carefully lift the circle with a lefse stick or the handle of a flat wooden spatula. Transfer it quickly to the griddle.
• Cook the lefse on the griddle until brown spots begin to appear.
• Flip and cook the other side.
• 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 dough balls until you've used all of the dough.
• Serve the lefse smeared with butter to taste and a sprinkle or two of sugar.
• Enjoy.

LEFSE I

Steps:

• In a large bowl mix together the boiling water, shortening, milk, salt, sugar, and potato flakes. Place in the refrigerator until thoroughly chilled.
• After dough is thoroughly chilled, add the flour, using a pastry blender to cut in.
• Divide dough into 3 equal size portions. Form into 3 logs. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
• Heat an electric griddle to 375 degree F (190 degrees C).
• Divide logs into 8 pieces. Roll to about the size of a 10 inch tortilla. Work additional flour into rounds as needed. Use care to press lightly with rolling pin when forming into rounds as they are much more tender than pie dough. The weight of a large rolling pin is nearly enough.
• Bake on the griddle until each round feels dry but not crisp. Turn frequently.
• Cool on cloth. Cover with an additional cloth. Stack pieces on top of each other as they are baked. The steam will create a more tender product.

INSTANT POTATO NORWEGIAN LEFSE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan or pot, bring the water to boil and add the milk, butter, sugar, and salt. When the milk has come to a boil, add the potato flakes and stir until smooth. Pour the potatoes into a large bowl and refrigerate.
• When ready to make the lefse, take out 2 cups of potatoes at a time and add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of flour and stir until it becomes a workable dough. Flour a counter surface and roll the dough out as thin as possible. Cut individual slices with the a round cookie cutter, or the top of a medium sized glass.
• Add about 1 tsp oil to a skillet pan and cook the lefse for about 3-5 minutes, or when brown blisters start to form on the top. Flip and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
• Continue to cook the individual slices until the potato dough is gone. You may be able to cook several lefse at a time if you have a large enough skillet, if not cook one at a time. Any leftover cooked lefse may be refrigerate and used for about 3-5 more days.

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.

POTATO LEFSE

Steps:

• Boil potatoes until tender. Drain well and return to pan and stir over low heat, a few minutes, to dry the potatoes, being careful not to brown them.
• Mash potatoes using a potato ricer, and place in heavy-duty electric mixer bowl.
• Add the remaining ingredients, except the flour for rolling and dusting, mix well.
• Blend together to form a nonsticky dough.
• Knead and form in a smooth log. Divide into 24 pieces.
• Roll each piece into a 8-10" circle.
• Turn the lefse as you roll it and keep it well coated with flour to prevent sticking.
• The dough is soft, but try to use as little flour as possible.
• Preheat an electric griddle or frying pan to 375 degrees, or use a griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Lightly grease with oil.
• Shake excess flour off each circle of lefse and place it in the pan.
• It will start to bubble; cook until the bubbles are lightly browned, about 1 1/2 minutes.
• With a spatula, turn and cook the other side.
• Stack the lefse on a wire rack as they are cooked, or wrap them in foil and keep warm in a 200 degree oven.
• They can be frozen and quickly reheated in the frying pan or on the griddle.

NORWEGIAN LEFSE

Steps:

• Cover potatoes with water and cook until tender. Run hot potatoes through a potato ricer. Place into a large bowl. Beat butter, cream, salt, and sugar into the hot riced potatoes. Let cool to room temperature.
• Stir flour into the potato mixture. Pull off pieces of the dough and form into walnut size balls. Lightly flour a pastry cloth and roll out lefse balls to 1/8 inch thickness.
• Cook on a hot (400 degree F/200 C) griddle until bubbles form and each side has browned. Place on a damp towel to cool slightly and then cover with damp towel until ready to serve.