LEFSE is a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread. It is made with riced potatoes, flour, butter, and milk or cream and cooked on a large, flat griddle. Special tools are used to prepare lefse, including long wooden turning sticks and special rolling pins with deep grooves. It is important to realize that the starch in potatoes is best worked when cold. Keep your riced potatoes and patties in the fridge until just before rolling and cooking.
While I was growing up, lefse was a treat for our family every year mainly at Christmas. My mother never missed the tradition, spending one long weekend at the annual chore. It was stored wrapped in tea towels in the freezer, warmed up and served rolled up with butter. We never ate it any other way. We loved lefse. My mother was half Norwegian, but I don’t think she developed the lefse habit in her family home. It was only after she spent time with the Perrier family that she learned how. My Grandmother Perrier was Norwegian from North Dakota.
My mother was raised in SW Saskatchewan, trained as a teacher and had her first posting at the country school closest to the Perrier homestead east of Scout Lake Saskatchewan. She eventually taught most of the younger Perrier children – this was during WWII. My mom boarded at the Perriers and lived there after marrying my father – it was a big happy household with 10 kids. I think it likely this was when she started making lefse.
At least two of my dad’s sisters, Dolores and Violet, were prodigious lefse makers. And some of their children have continued the habit. A routine amount would be four batches of the recipes below, or about 200 pieces of lefse.
Some Poems About Lefse
Yew tak yust ten big potatoes
Den yew boil dem til dar don,
Yew add to dis some sveet cream
And by cups it measures vun.Den yew steal ‘tree ounces of butter
And vit two fingers pench some salt,
Yew beat dis wery lightly
If it ain’t gude it is your fault.Den yew roll dis tin vit flour
An’ light brown on stove yew bake,
Now call in all Scandihuvians
Tew try da fine lefse yew makeWe sat amazed as Mother worked the dough.
Could her palms sense when it became too warm?
Within those hands a shape began to grow.
Rolled out, it moved towards its proper form.She sprinkled flour as she rolled them out.
The rolling pin moved lightly in her hands.
She turned each lefse over and about,
As swirling worlds take shape when God commands.First rolled up on a stick, and then unrolled;
The cookstove added age-spots to each side.
Once done, they were removed for us to fold;A simple task that we performed with pride.
Each bite one takes can recreate this mood;
What we call “lefse” is not merely food.
Recipe #1 (My Aunt Dolores’s recipe)
• 16 cups riced potatoes – white russet
• 6 cups flour
• 1½ c butter in pats
• 1 c whipping cream
Recipe #2 (Lefsetime – possibly the recommended recipe)
• 16 cups riced potatoes – white russet
• 6 cups flour
• 1 cup butter in pats
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 8 tsp sugar
• 4 tsp salt
Equipment. This is available for purchase as a complete kit from www.lefsetime.com, but I could not order online as the site did not accept customers from outside the USA. Canadians can order by phone from Lefsetime (608-687-4299) or Bethany Housewares (563-547-5873), who actually ship the kits for Lefsetime. On Amazon.ca, the kits were 2 times the US price.
• potato ricer heavy duty
• special grooved rolling pin with the cotton knit sleeve
• pastry board with canvas cover made by Bethany
• lefse griddle
• lefse turning stick
RECIPE #2
1. Potatoes
Peel 8 to 10 lbs of russet potatoes. Rinse and cut potatoes in half and then quarters – a similar size so they are all cooked through at the same time. Boil in salted water until just fork tender – overcooking makes them mushy and the lefse wet. This will yield 16 cups of riced potatoes equaling 48 lefse rounds. Note: Highly recommend using a good quality brand russet-burbank potato. Kitchen Kleen is one type.
2. Ricing
Drain in a large colander and place back into the pot with a tea towel over to absorb moisture from the steam.. Rice but don’t waste time as potatoes need to be warm to melt the butter in the next step (rice them into the empty pot you used for boiling). Make ricing easier – fill the ricer basket 1/2 to 2/3’s of the way full and take it slow – a lot of pressure all at once and the potatoes will come out too fast and all over. They are very hot and can burn your skin.
3. Cooling
To your 16 cups of riced potatoes, add 1 cup butter in pats so it melts in evenly. Stir a few times to get the butter mixed in well. Cover and refrigerate overnight if desired. If you would like to make lefse the same day, recurrently stir and cool down in the fridge.
4. Mixing.
To your completely cooled potatoes add 2 cups whipping cream, 4 tsp salt, 8 tsp sugar and 6 cups flour. If you have refrigerated overnight, break up the potatoes into small crumbles before adding the remaining ingredients. Once added, stir until most of the flour is worked in (loose crumbles). To get the flour mixed in thoroughly, use hands and knead (like bread dough) 10 – 15 times. Try to get as much mixing done in the bowl to save mess on the counter. Finish mixing in the flour by turning it out onto the counter to incorporate all the flour. You should feel the dough come together into a smooth dough.
5. Patties
Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop out 48 patties onto a tray or cookie sheet. Then
shape each patty much like you would a hamburger patty – gently knead between your hands, roll into ball and press flat. It is very important that the edges of your patties are smooth with no cracks. Those small cracks will develop into bigger cracks as you roll. Set your patties aside to rest while you turn on your lefse grill and let it heat to 500 degrees. Note: 1/3 cup patty will roll into a nice, thin 14 inch round. If you like thicker lefse roll only to 12 inches. If you like the thinness but prefer a smaller sheet, a 1/4 cup patty rolls into a 12 inch round. Can use a No.12 disher to speed up the scooping, it’s equivalent to 1/3 cup.
Make all of your patties in advance to speed things along. Let them rest for 5 minutes before rolling or place on a cookie sheet, separate layers with saran and refrigerate overnight.
6. Rolling.
The dough rolls best when cool. Gently roll forward and back using mostly the weight of the pin, only a very slight downward pressure so that your patty becomes a small oval. Rolling lefse is like rolling pie crust, start from the middle and work out.
Then either rotate your board slightly or change your angle and roll forward and back. Continue rotating or switching your angles so that you keep your lefse round and of even thickness. Keep rolling until you have achieved the size of lefse you’d like.
Preparation is the key to success with rolling. Round pastry boards are great for rolling lefse. They have size guides to indicate how large your sheets are and can be a great guide to round sheets. Prep your pastry board by spreading out about 1 cup of flour into a circle just a bit bigger than the sheet of lefse you intend to roll to start. Rub the flour thoroughly into your pastry cloth and add a bit of flour between each sheet, paying special attention to the centre as it tends to build up the most moisture and could cause sticking. A flour dredger is a very handy tool for that step. Avoid wet spots on the pastry cloth.
Prep your rolling pin by working flour into every groove of your pin. This can be sped up by rolling your pin directly into flour. For example, place a cup of flour onto a tray and roll your pin back and forth through the flour. Be sure to rub flour in on any missing spots and to rub in more flour between each lefse sheet. You can also use a rolling pin cover or stockinette; it functions the same as a pastry cloth when prepped with enough flour. It may be worthwhile having a backup stockinette change if it gets wet. It is not so easy to change the pastry board cover. Don’t skimp on flour for rolling, nor do you want to use too much, as you will then end up with burned flour on your griddle rquiring dusting flour off the lefse with a pastry brush.
7. Transfer
When transferring lefse to the grill be sure to move quickly for a nice even cook. Using a lefse turning stick, slide the stick under the middle of the lefse sheet making sure to keep the tip of the stick down. Lift from the middle slowly and gently and transfer to the lefse grill moving quickly to match the edge of your lefse to the edge of the lefse grill. Lay the lefse down and “unroll”. Again move quickly in one smooth motion. If you miss the grill and part of your lefse is hanging off, let it cook for 10-15 seconds, then using a hot pad, lay it on top of the cooking portion of lefse and gently pull the lefse that is hanging off onto the grill. Another method to transfer is to flip the edge of a sheet over the stick and roll in a couple turns and then lift up, again match your lefse to the grill, lay down and unroll.
8. Cooking
Cook the first side 30 seconds, give or take. The surest way to know if your lefse is ready to flip is to watch for cues. Your sheet should bubble up and when you peek under the edge there should be light golden brown spots. Then run your lefse stick down the middle, lift and turn over using the same method mentioned in step 7. Cook the second side until you see the same signs. The second side will cook considerably faster than the first side as the sheet has been heated through. From there simply transfer your lefse to lefse cozies or towel (do not use towels laundered with scents). Wipe off excess flour on your lefse grill with a dry cloth between each sheet to avoid burnt flour on your sheets. Let about 10 to 12 sheets stack, cover with a cozy or towel, then set them aside to cool. If you see that your sheets have a bit too much flour, wait until cooled and dust off. When lefse is completely cooled, fold in half, then half again and store in zip-top freezer bags. They will keep in the freezer for 6 months or more.
LEFSE is a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread. It is made with riced or instant potatoes, flour, butter, and milk or cream. It is cooked on a large, flat griddle. Special tools are used to prepare lefse, including long wooden turning sticks and special rolling pins with deep grooves
Flavouring. There are many ways of flavouring lefse. The most common is adding butter to the lefse and rolling it up. In Norway, this is known as “lefse-klenning”. Other options include adding cinnamon and/or sugar, or spreading jelly, lingonberries or gomme on it. Scandinavian-American variations include rolling it with a thin layer of peanut butter and sugar, with butter and white or brown sugar, with butter and corn syrup, or with ham and eggs. Also eaten with beef and other savoury items like Ribberull and mustard, it is comparable to a tortilla. Lefse is a traditional accompaniment to lutefisk, and the fish is often rolled up in the lefse.
LEFSE IN NORWAY
Variations. There are significant regional variations in Norway in the way lefse is made and eaten, but it generally resembles a flatbread, although in many parts of Norway, especially Valdres, it is far thinner.
Tynnlefse (thin lefse) is a variation made in central Norway. Tynnlefse is rolled up with butter, sugar and cinnamon (or with butter and brown sugar).
Tjukklefse or tykklefse is thicker and often served with coffee as a cake.
Potetlefse (potato lefse) is similar to and used as tynnlefse, but made with potatoes.
Potetkake or Lompe being the “smaller-cousin” of the potato lefse, is often used in place of a hot-dog bun and can be used to roll up sausages. This is also known as pølse med lompe in Norway.
Møsbrømlefse is a variation common to Salten district in Nordland in North Norway. Møsbrømmen consists of half water and half the cheese smooth with flour or corn flour to a half thick sauce that greased the cooled lefse. Lefse is ready when møsbrømmen is warm and the butter is melted.
Nordlandslefse is a chunky small lefse. Made of butter, syrup, sugar, eggs and flour. Originally created in western Norway as a treat to fishermen who were on the Lofoten Fishery.
Anislefse is made on the coast of Hordaland. It resembles thin lefse but is slightly thicker, and it is stained by large amounts of whole aniseed.
Hardangerlefse is made from yeast-risen Graham flour or a fine ground whole wheat flour (krotekake). Additionally, it is often made with egg yolks and buttermilk instead of potatoes. The dough is rolled with a conventional rolling pin (and much more flour) until it is thin and does not stick to the surface. It is then cut with a grooved rolling pin in perpendicular directions, cutting a grid into the dough which prevents it from creating air pockets as it cooks. The grid cut can also aid in thinner rolling of the lefse, as the ridges help preserve structural integrity. The lefse is cooked at high temperature (400 °F or 205 °C) until browned, and then left to dry. It can also be freeze dried by repeatedly freezing and thawing.
Dried Hardangerlefse can be stored without refrigeration for six months or more, so long as it is kept dry. It is customarily thought that the bread (along with solefisk) was a staple on the seagoing voyages as far back as Viking times. The wet lefse is dipped in water, and then placed within a towel which has also been dipped in water and wrung out. Many people maintain that dipping in salted or seawater enhances the flavour. The dry lefse regains its bread-like texture in about 60 minutes. Often that time is used to prepare such ingredients as eggs or herring which are wrapped in the lefse once it has softened.
LEFSE IN THE USA & CANADA
Lefse is a Scandinavian treat that is especially popular around the Christmas holidays. Many Scandinavian-Americans eat lefse primarily around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
While the Midwest generally always makes its lefse with potatoes, this is not necessarily the case in Norway. When one uses the term “lefse” in the United States, it more than often refers to what Norwegians call potato lefse. Norwegians, however, also make Hardanger lefse with egg yolks and buttermilk. The tradition of making lefse was brought over by Norwegian Americans, and potato lefse itself was made when their potato crop was successful. Due to this, it became more prevalently made than other types in the United States. When lefse was able to be made, it was stored in small storage buildings called bryggehaus.
When Norwegian immigrants first arrived in America, they did not have the usual foods they were used to back home, including milk and porridge, dried meat, and lefse, but early Norwegian-American immigrants brought folded lefse to eat for the beginning stages of their immigration journey via ship. After these were eaten, the lack of food they were used to is likely why they turned back to tradition so quickly. During World War I, Americans were encouraged to eat potatoes to be patriotic, as the front lines needed the wheat grown at home. Lefse, a staple for Norwegian Americans, was eaten with gusto during this time. While lefse is generally not eaten with day-to-day meals in Norway today, Norwegian Americans traditionally give prominence to having lefse with their supper, considering it their specialty. Furthermore, that some Norwegian Americans still make lefse has been considered by some ethnic Norwegians to be unstylish, as it has fallen so out of tradition to hand-make the dish.
Keeping the Tradition Alive
Family members often gather to cook lefse as a group effort because the process is more enjoyable as a traditional holiday activity. This gathering also provides training to younger generations keeping the tradition alive.
As the skills and patience to make lefse have been passed down less into the modern generation, the rounds have gotten thicker and smaller, whereas an ideal lefse is thin and large.
The Sons of Norway have lodges to teach making lefse to younger generations. One of these lodges, in Vancouver, Washington, uses up to sixty pounds of potatoes to make lefse every month. While Lefse used to be eaten as a snack food, it is now more often made in large quantities for such lutefisk dinners.
Some professional lefse makers can roll eighty-five to 100 lefse per hour, or even up to 140.
Where Lefse is Found
In Norway today, most families tend to purchase their lefse rather than making it. While today’s Norwegian Americans consider making lefse at Christmas a tradition, more families are turning to purchase it from the store instead. For example, around $80,000 worth of lefse is generally sold around Christmas from Ingebretsen’s Scandinavian Gifts in Minneapolis, Minnesota, yearly. Lefse can also be found in many grocery stores around Midwestern states, including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Oregon, Alaska and Washington. Norsland Lefse, a factory in Rushford, Minnesota, produces about a half million rounds of lefse each year. The foodway of Scandinavian lefse stretches from the Midwest all the way through northeastern Montana. Small lefse factories dot the landscape throughout this area, mostly in Norwegian communities. In the larger of these communities, Lefse can be found in grocery stores year round. In the Red River Valley specifically, “restaurants, supermarkets, and clubs all serve fish, lefse, and other specialties.” Additionally, many United States Scandinavian festivals have booths to sell lefse, and lefse can also be ordered directly from online.
Celebrations and Festivals
Lefse is celebrated in cities and towns with large Scandinavian populations. Fargo, North Dakota, hosts the popular Lutefisk and Lefse Festival in August each year. Fosston, Minnesota, invites area lefse makers to compete for the title of Champion Lefse Maker at its Lefse Fest in November. Mankato, Minnesota, natives celebrate lefse day, a day for cooking lefse, on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The Potato Days festival has been taking place in Barnesville, Minnesota, since the early 1930s; this festival also takes part in the National Lefse Cookoff.
Rumours and Jokes
Rumours surrounding the initial use of lefse are claims by Norwegian Americans that it was made by and used to sustain the Vikings, but potatoes were not introduced into Norway until long after the Vikings’ time. Although many Scandinavian-Americans do enjoy and eat the foods of their ethnic traditions, there is no shortage of tall-tales and jokes surrounding certain food, as well. Lefse was not excluded from these rumours. Lefse has been said to be “so tasteless that many mistakenly eat the paper doily under the stack and do not know the difference.”
Integrating Lefse into Other Foodways
Sometimes Norwegian foods are integrated into other ethnic foodways. For example, one may use lefse in order to make enchiladas, rather than tortillas. Additionally, American lefse is sometimes served with butter, cinnamon sugar, brown sugar, or lingonberry jelly before being rolled, to be eaten in a similar fashion to a crêpe. One may also choose eggs, sausage, and cheese to make it into a breakfast burrito. One may also roll Smørrebrød into their lefse.