Lefse
intro
Tender, paper-thin potato flatbread, a beloved Norwegian-American holiday staple perfect rolled with butter and sugar or served alongside savory Christmas mains.
Ingredients
Steps
Cook and rice potatoes
Place peeled, 1-inch cubed russet potatoes in a large pot of heavily salted cold water, bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 18-20 minutes until fork-tender (a fork slides through with no resistance). Drain potatoes completely to remove excess moisture, then press through a potato ricer into a large glass bowl while still hot; measure out 720 grams (3 firmly packed cups) of riced potato for the recipe, discarding any excess.
Mix and chill potato base
Add melted unsalted butter, warmed heavy cream, granulated sugar, and fine sea salt to the hot riced potatoes, stirring thoroughly with a wooden spoon until fully combined and completely smooth. Spread the mixture in a 1/2-inch thin layer on a rimmed baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes until completely cold to the touch, which prevents the dough from becoming sticky during rolling.
Form smooth dough balls
Remove the chilled potato mixture from the refrigerator and transfer back to a large mixing bowl. Add the measured all-purpose flour 60 grams (1/2 cup) at a time, mixing gently with your hands after each addition until a soft, pliable, non-sticky dough forms; do not overmix, as this will develop gluten and make tough lefse. Divide the dough into 8 equal 85-gram portions, rolling each between your palms into a tight, smooth ball.
Roll dough into thin rounds
Lightly flour a cotton pastry cloth (or cloth-covered board) and a grooved wooden lefse rolling pin to prevent sticking. Take one dough ball, press it into a 3-inch disc with your palm, then roll it out evenly, rotating the dough a quarter turn every few rolls, into a 10-inch round that is nearly paper-thin (about 1.5mm thick). Keep remaining dough balls covered with a damp paper towel while you work to prevent them from drying out.
Cook on hot griddle
Preheat an electric griddle or cast iron griddle to 400°F (200°C) — do not grease the surface. Carefully lift the rolled dough round using a long wooden lefse stick (or thin, flexible metal spatula) and lay it flat on the hot griddle, smoothing out any wrinkles quickly. Cook for 45-60 seconds on the first side, until small golden brown bubbles form across the surface, then flip and cook for 30-45 seconds on the second side until light golden spots appear.
Cool and store lefse
Transfer cooked lefse immediately to a plate lined with a clean cotton kitchen towel, stacking the rounds between layers of slightly damp paper towel to trap steam and keep them soft. Let the lefse cool completely for 10 minutes before serving, either as a side to savory holiday dishes or rolled with softened butter, cinnamon, and sugar as a sweet treat.
Tips
2.Never use a blender or food processor to process cooked potatoes, as this overworks potato starch and creates a gummy, gluey texture; a potato ricer produces the lightest, fluffiest potato base for tender lefse.
3.Do not skip the step of chilling the potato mixture before adding flour; warm potatoes absorb excess flour, leading to dense, bread-like lefse instead of the delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture that is traditional.
OMG, I’ve been trying to nail my grandma’s lefse recipe for YEARS and this is the closest I’ve ever gotten! The ratio of potatoes to flour is perfect—no weird gummy texture like my last 3 failed attempts. Brought a batch to our church lutefisk dinner last night and everyone was asking for the recipe. SO good slathered with butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar!
Really solid recipe! My only note is that I had to add almost an extra 1/4 cup flour to get the dough to roll out without sticking to my lefse board, even after chilling it for the full time. Flavor was spot on though, and it held up great when I froze half for our family Christmas gathering next week.
Game changer for our annual neighborhood potluck! I was nervous to make lefse for the first time since I’d always heard it was super fussy, but the step-by-step instructions made it so doable. My kids devoured 3 pieces each before we even left the house, and multiple neighbors asked if I’d be bringing it again next year. 10/10!
This is pretty close to the lefse I grew up eating in Seattle, but I missed the hint of nutmeg my best friend’s mom always added to her dough. Cook time was right on for me though, and the rolling tips saved me from tearing half the batch like I usually do.
Okay I’m a total novice in the kitchen and I was convinced I’d mess this up, but it turned out AMAZING? I don’t have a fancy lefse griddle so I just used my cast iron skillet on medium low, and it worked perfectly. Rolled the dough between two sheets of parchment paper so I didn’t even need a special rolling pin. Had it with butter and brown sugar for dessert last night, chef’s kiss.
Made this for my husband’s birthday since he grew up eating lefse at his grandma’s house in Minnesota, and he teared up a little when he took the first bite! Said it tasted exactly like he remembered. We rolled ours up with lingonberry jam like his family does, and it was chef’s kiss. Already saved this recipe to make every holiday from now on.
Great recipe! I made a double batch on Sunday to have for quick breakfasts all week, and they reheat really well in the microwave for 10 seconds. Only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is that it took me closer to 2 hours total instead of the 1.5 listed, but I think that’s just because I’m slow at rolling the dough out thin enough.
I’ve been making lefse for our family’s Christmas Eve smorgasbord for 40+ years, and I tried this recipe on a whim when my old handwritten one got stained beyond repair. It’s absolutely wonderful! The texture is perfect, not too heavy, and even my teen grandkid who’s a super picky eater ate two rolls with butter and sugar. Will be using this from now on.
Hmm, I followed the recipe exactly but my lefse turned out really tough and chewy. I’m not sure what I did wrong? I used the right potato type, chilled the dough, cooked it on my griddle at the recommended temp, but it just wasn’t soft and foldable like lefse is supposed to be. Disappointed because I was really looking forward to this.