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Traditional Norwegian potato bread made easy!
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Posted by caroline Mon Nov 12, 2007 15:48:44 PST
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Lefse (pronounced "lefsah") is a traditional Norwegian potato bread that visually resembles a tortilla but has its own unique taste.  My grandparents and parents made it every year during the Christmas holiday.  I remember my mother covered in flour, standing over a hot wood stove, turning lefse.  There was flour all over the kitchen and all over her!  Potato skins were heaped in the garbage after an assembly line of family members finished peeling what seemed like hundreds of potatoes.  It took forever to make enough for a Norwegian family get together!  We ate it with butter on it, rolled up like "pigs in a blanket."  Some people put butter and sugar on it and others wrap it around sausage. 

My Norwegian ancestors are probably all taking one good turn around their grave because using instant potatoes would seem totally wrong to them.  I think it tastes just as good and is certainly much faster and less messy, to say nothing of easy!  It's good.  It's a staple at our house at Christmas.  This recipe came from an online Norwegian cookbook. 

Instant Potato Lefse

4 cups potato flakes
3 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups margarine (butter)
3 tsp salt
4 tsp sugar
1 1/3 cups whole milk
1 cup Half & Half (light cream)

Place dry ingredients into 3 quart bowl. In a saucepan, bring to boil water, milk, Half & Half, and margarine. Stir liquid into bowl of potato mixture until smooth. Refrigerate overnight.

Lefse dough:

2 cups chilled potato mixture
1 cup flour

Work together with hands until flour has been absorbed. If sticky, add flour. Place about 1 cup of dough on floured board and roll as thin as possible. Cut with 4" cookie cutter or 1 pound coffee can. Set griddle to 400 degrees. Bake on hot griddle until light brown blisters appear; turn to complete baking.  Repeat process until all of potato mixture is used. Yield: 100 (3") pieces.

— Published in "Revisiting Norse Kitchens." Submitted by Jan Eri & Anne-Mette Bjørgan, Tanum, Norge

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Comment From: dweaver3

This sounds neat! What a great time of year to share a special family recipe - can't wait to try it =)