Traditional Potato Lefse
intro
Soft, paper-thin potato flatbread, a beloved Nordic-American Christmas staple, griddle-cooked and served with butter, sugar, or savory holiday fillings.
Ingredients
Steps
Cook and dry potatoes
Place 900 grams of peeled, cubed russet potatoes in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water. Cook over medium-high heat for 18-20 minutes until fork-tender, then drain completely. Return drained potatoes to the warm pot over low heat for 2 minutes to evaporate all excess surface moisture, as wet potatoes will make unworkable sticky dough.
Mix the lefse dough
Press the hot dried potatoes through a potato ricer into a large ceramic mixing bowl to create a smooth, lump-free texture. Stir in 60 grams melted unsalted butter, 45 ml warm heavy cream, 15 grams granulated sugar, and 5 grams fine table salt until evenly combined. Let the mixture cool to room temperature (approximately 25 minutes), then gently fold in 180 grams all-purpose flour until a soft, pliable, non-sticky dough forms; do not overmix, as this will make tough lefse.
Portion and rest dough
Lightly flour a clean wooden work surface, then turn the dough out and divide it into 16 equal 40-gram pieces, rolling each into a tight, smooth ball. Cover all dough balls with a clean damp cotton kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes at room temperature; this relaxes gluten to prevent shrinking when rolling.
Preheat the griddle
Place a large cast iron griddle or heavy non-stick frying pan over medium heat, bringing the surface to a steady 200°C (400°F). Test the temperature by sprinkling a pinch of flour: it should turn light golden brown in 10 seconds when ready. Wipe the griddle surface lightly with a butter-dipped paper towel to prevent sticking, taking care not to leave excess grease.
Roll thin lefse rounds
Working with one dough ball at a time (keep remaining balls covered to prevent drying), place it on a well-floured cloth-covered rolling board. Use a floured rolling pin (grooved lefse pin preferred, standard pin works) to roll the dough into a 20cm (8-inch) wide, paper-thin round approximately 2mm thick. Turn the dough a quarter turn after every few rolls, adding extra flour as needed to prevent sticking, and take care not to tear the thin sheet.
Cook on the griddle
Carefully lift the thin dough round with a wide, flat spatula or traditional lefse stick and transfer it to the preheated griddle. Cook for 45-60 seconds on the first side, until small light golden brown bubbles appear across the surface, then flip and cook for 30-45 seconds on the second side. Do not overcook, as lefse will turn crispy instead of soft and pliable.
Cool and store lefse
As each piece of lefse finishes cooking, transfer it to a wire rack and stack between layers of clean, dry cotton tea towels to trap gentle steam and keep the bread soft as it cools (about 15 minutes total cooling time). Serve immediately with butter, cinnamon sugar, or lingonberry jam, or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Tips
2.You do not need a specialty grooved lefse rolling pin; a standard smooth wooden pin works perfectly if floured generously between each round.
3.Never stack hot, freshly cooked lefse directly on top of each other without towel layers, as trapped condensation will make the bread soggy.
OMG, this lefse tastes EXACTLY like the kind my Norwegian grandma used to make for our Christmas Eve smorgasbord! I was so nervous I’d mess up the rolling since I’ve heard it’s finicky, but the tip about chilling the potato dough for 2 hours first was a total game changer. My kids ate 3 pieces each slathered with butter and sugar before I even got the rest of the batch off the griddle. SO good, will be making this for every family holiday from now on!
Made this for our neighborhood block party potluck last weekend and it was a huge hit! I will say, I didn’t have a potato ricer so I used a masher and there were a few tiny lumps in the dough, but no one seemed to notice. Next time I’m going to pick up a ricer to see if it makes the texture even silkier. Only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is I wish the recipe noted how hot the griddle should be upfront—I had to mess with the temp for the first 3 pieces before I got it right.
Just pulled my first batch off the griddle and WOW. I’ve been buying store-bought lefse for years because I thought making it from scratch would be too much work, but 90 minutes total time was totally manageable even for a weeknight? The texture is so soft and buttery, way better than any pre-made version I’ve ever had. Already texted the recipe to my whole family.
Game changer for my weekly meal prep! I made a double batch on Sunday, wrapped the lefse tightly in plastic wrap, and it’s held up perfectly all week for quick breakfast wraps with eggs and cheese, or even sweet snacks with cinnamon butter. I was worried it would get dried out in the fridge, but it stayed just as soft as day one. Such a versatile recipe!
I’ve been making lefse for 60 years so I was curious to see how this “traditional” recipe stacked up to mine. It’s pretty solid! I do add a tiny pinch of nutmeg to my dough which gives it a little extra warmth, but the base ratios here are spot on. New bakers: don’t skimp on chilling the dough, that’s the secret that so many modern recipes skip.
Brought this to my office potluck today and people were literally asking for the recipe before they even finished their first bite! I served it with both sweet (butter + cinnamon sugar, lingonberry jam) and savory (smoked salmon, cream cheese) toppings so there was something for everyone. Zero leftovers, that’s how you know it’s a hit.
Grew up eating lefse at every family holiday back in Wisconsin, and now that I live out in Denver I’ve been craving it something fierce. This recipe hit the spot! My only note is that my dough was a little stickier than I expected, so I had to add about an extra tablespoon of flour while I was rolling. Turned out perfect once I adjusted, though. Tasted just like home.
Made this in my tiny dorm kitchen with just a regular nonstick pan (no fancy griddle or lefse stick!) and it still turned out amazing. I was worried I didn’t have the right equipment, but you don’t need any special gadgets to pull this off. My roommates are already begging me to make it again this weekend.
This is going to be a new staple on our Thanksgiving table from now on! I tested it out this weekend to make sure it was good enough for the big day, and my wife (who is super picky about traditional recipes) said it’s even better than the lefse her family used to get from the local Norwegian bakery in Minnesota. Total win.
Really tasty recipe, but I definitely struggled with the rolling part at first! My first three pieces tore completely when I tried to move them, but once I got the hang of how much flour to use on my work surface it got way easier. The end result was so worth the learning curve, even if my first few looked a little wonky. My family still ate every last bite.
Came back to say I tried the tips from Chef Admin on my second batch today, and it worked perfectly! No more tearing, every piece rolled out smooth and cooked up so soft. I brought a plate over to my next door neighbor who’s from Norway, and she said it tasted just like home. Can’t believe I pulled that off as a total beginner!
SO good! I made these for a lazy Sunday brunch with my friends, and we rolled them up with cinnamon butter and sliced apples on the side. It felt like such a fancy, cozy spread but the recipe was straightforward enough that I didn’t stress about prep while I was cleaning my apartment before people came over. 10/10, will make again.