Lefse is a super-simple and surprisingly delicious Norwegian flatbread made by mixing mashed potato, flour, and butter together, rolling it thin, and cooking it on a griddle. The recipes are all similar and yet every Norwegian family seems to have their own secret way of making them. Some like a thicker pancake and others roll until you can read through the dough. Having the right equipment makes the process easier and it all gets passed down through the generations. I just ordered my own Lefse kit and can’t wait to roll them out with the boys for the holidays.
Topping them is up to you. I’ve been told they are served with savory dishes but I’ve always had them with butter and lingonberry jam or a dusting of sugar that’s been spiced with cardamom. Serve with a cup of Gløgg.
ZoëBakes Season 2 | Episode 10: Nordic Treats
Zoë pays tribute to her Nordic heritage by preparing Swedish cream and krumkake, a pressed cookie and visiting a ladies’ church group for a lesson in making the traditional Norwegian flatbread, lefse.
Interested in deep dives of my show on Magnolia Network? Be sure to sign up for my Extras newsletter on Substack. The deep dive for this episode has exclusive recipes for several Scandinavian treats.
Don’t miss my other recipes from the the Nordic Treats episode of Zoë Bakes! Sour cherry streusel bars, Swedish cream, and krumkake.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 lbs russet potatoes
- 10 Tbsp butter
- 4 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp salt
- 2 cups flour
Instructions
- Peel, boil and rice your potatoes.
- Mix and cool 10 cups riced potatoes, butter, sugar, and salt.
- Add two cups of flour to the mixture and continue to cool.
- Roll into scant 1/4 cup size balls, then roll each ball thin and fry.
Are you aware of “flour” lefse? Check out My other More Exciting post on flour lefse. She is my daughter and this is what our family likes and makes! Just learned last week that sometimes it was called milk lefse.
My recipe calls for half a cup of flour per cup of riced potatoes. I would be interested in the wizardry required to roll this recipe without it sticking to everything.
That’s really interesting! It is quite a bit more flour. So many recipe variations out there. I don’t seem to have too much trouble rolling it out. I do use a board with a cloth cover that I purchased and I think that really helps. The flour is rubbed into the cloth so the lefse doesn’t stick but it also doesn’t get too much flour on it. I also have a sock on my rolling pin that I keep floured. But to be honest, my sister just rolls it out on her countertop with flour. I guess SHE’S the wizard. 🙂