Norwegian Potato Lefse
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Norwegian potato lefse is a simple and delicious flatbread made with riced potatoes, butter, and flour! This is by far the easiest lefse inspired by my grandma’s original recipe. Make it with friends and family for a fun little winter tradition!
My family makes lefse every single Christmas. It’s by far my favorite part of the year. So naturally, when I actually went to Norway, I was under the impression that it would be everywhere. Spoiler alert: I was wrong. I went to various bakeries, grocery stores, and restaurants but there wasn’t a lefse to be seen.
But, on the bright side, Norway is where I had my first cardamom bun, Norwegian pancakes, and gløgg so I still left full, happy, and full of carbs.
And now that Christmas is back around, I’m beyond excited to share my great grandma’s recipe! It’s slightly potato-y, pillowy, and totally perfect. Gather your friends, call your family, and let’s make it!
You’ll love this lefse recipe!
Lefse is one of those things where everyone’s grandma has their own way of doing things. So maybe I’m biased, but this one is definitely my favorite. This is my great grandma’s recipe that we’ve been using for years and it’s amazing every time!
- The dough is simple and easy to work with.
- This lefse is soft, pillowy, and full of flavor!
- It’s absolutely delicious with all kinds of toppings.
- Lefse is the best holiday tradition to make with friends and family.
What is lefse?
Lefse is a traditional Norwegian flatbread made with potatoes, butter, flour, and a few other ingredients. They’re pan-fried until they’re golden-brown and filled with butter, sugar, jam, and other delicious toppings. Basically, imagine if a flour tortilla and a potato had a baby. In my experience, making lefse is usually a community event where everyone is assigned to a task like making dough, rolling, griddling, and the like. It’s one of my absolute favorite traditions!
The ingredient list
- Potatoes – I usually go with Russets, because it’s what my grandma uses. It makes for lefse that’s nice and moist with a hint of potato flavor.
- Butter – you’ll want a nice butter, because it adds so much flavor to the lefse. I recommend unsalted European butter which has higher fat and makes for richer lefse.
- Flour – regular all-purpose flour will work with the potatoes to create a dough that’s moist but not sticky.
- Salt – I like Morton’s Kosher salt which will add a slight saltiness to the lefse.
- Sugar – just a hint of sugar will add some sweetness.
- Heavy cream – a hint of cream will loosen up the dough so that it’s nice and soft.
Ingredient variations
- Potatoes – while I use Russets, it’s very common to use red potatoes in Norway. Apparently it makes the flatbread a bit more soft and moist, although I haven’t tried it! Feel free to use red potatoes if you like them better.
- Sugar-free – my family has always added a bit of sugar but you can leave it out if you want a more savory flatbread. The sugar adds just a tiny hint of sweetness!
- Gluten-free – I haven’t tried a GF version, but I imagine that using a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour replacement like Cup4Cup would work great!
How to make lefse
Prep the potatoes
- Start by peeling the potatoes and dicing them into chunks.
- Then, boil the potatoes just until they’re fork tender.
- Rice the potatoes and mix them with a stick of butter.
Mix the dough
- Spoon the potatoes into a 9×13 pan. Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.
- The next day, add the potatoes, flour, salt, sugar, and cream to a large mixing bowl.
- Mix the dough just until it comes together.
Form the dough
- Divide the dough into equal portions. I like to use a cupcake scoop so they’re all the same size.
- Using your hands, form the dough into smooth discs.
- Then, place the discs on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Cover with a linen and refrigerate.
Roll & cook
- Working one disc at a time, use a corrugated rolling pin to roll the dough into a circle.
- Use a lefse stick to gently transfer the lefse to a griddle.
- Cook the flatbread at 350°F (177°C) until it’s golden-brown, about 1-2 minutes per side.
- Let the lefse cool completely. Then, stack it and cover the stack with a tea towel. Enjoy!
Pro tip!
Don’t be afraid to use flour! This dough is moist and delicate, so you’ll need to use a lot of flour while you’re rolling it out.
How to roll lefse
Rolling lefse can be a bit frustrating if you’ve never done it before. But after making lefse basically my whole life, I’ve found a few little tips and tricks to help make the process a bit easier.
- Dust the surface with lots of flour. You don’t want the dough to stick or it will be really hard to roll.
- Use dough right from the fridge. Cold dough is much easier to roll than warm dough.
- If your corrugated rolling pin is sticking, start by using a regular rolling pin to thin out the dough. Then, use the corrugated pin to add the square texture for the last 2-3 rolls.
- For round lefse, roll the dough 1-2 times and then turn the dough a quarter. Repeat over and over until the lefse is thin and round.
Pro tip
This dough is very delicate so be careful when you’re rolling it. Keep the rolling gentle so the dough doesn’t pull apart or stick to the rolling surface.
Serving ideas
There are so many ways to eat this flatbread whether you’re into sweet or savory! Here are a few of my favorite ways:
- Good quality butter + sugar – this is usually how we eat lefse!
- Topped with lingonberry jam.
- With a sprinkle of cinnamon and/or cardamom.
- As a side dish with soup.
- Rolled up with mayo, deli meat, and cheese.
- With meatballs and gravy.
Storing, freezing, & make-ahead
To store leftover lefse, wrap the entire stack in a tea cloth. Place the stack in a zipper bag or airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. After a few days, it will start to lose its moisture.
To freeze leftovers, stack the flatbread in-between layers of parchment paper. Place the stack in a zipper bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Let it defrost in the fridge overnight before serving.
You can also make the dough in advance! Just make the dough, form the discs, and cover them with a linen or plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out. Refrigerate overnight and cook the lefse the next day.
Quick tip
I like to wrap the lefse in a tea towel before storing it in a zipper bag or airtight container. The tea towel keeps the flatbread from drying out in the fridge!
Helpful tools
- Kitchen scale or measuring cups
- Vegetable peeler
- Large pot
- Potato ricer
- Stand mixer with bread hook
- Corrugated rolling pin
- Lefse stick
- Wood board or pastry rolling board
- Griddle or large pan
Pro tip
For the best results, I definitely recommend using a kitchen scale! It’s the best way to make sure the lefse comes out perfect every time! If you don’t have a kitchen scale, make sure you’re measuring the flour properly. Whisk the flour until it’s fluffy and spoon the fluffed flour into a measuring cup. Then, level the flour without packing it in.
Tips & tricks
- Make sure the potatoes are nice and smooth! I recommend ricing the potatoes for the best results. You want the potatoes to be smooth so the lefse doesn’t have lumps!
- You need to chill the potatoes overnight! They need time to dry out in the fridge so that the dough doesn’t come out sticky. I also leave them uncovered to prevent condensation.
- Keep the dough chilled. I work with 2-3 discs at a time and leave the rest covered in the fridge. It’s so much easier to roll out chilled dough! If it warms up, it will stick.
- Don’t let the dough discs dry out. You want the dough to be rollable but still moist.
- Make sure you don’t overcook the flatbread! Otherwise, they’ll burn or come out crunchy instead of soft.
Recipe FAQs
How do you pronounce lefse?
It is pronounced lef-suh. You might see it spelled as ‘lefsa’ but this is a common mis-spelling. It’s lefse with an ‘e’ not an ‘a’. 🙂
Can I make this gluten-free?
Sure! I have not tried a gluten-free version, but I imagine that any 1-to-1 gluten-free flour like Cup4Cup would work fine.
Can I make this recipe without a griddle?
Yes, if you don’t have a griddle, you can cook lefse in a large skillet over medium-low heat. I like using a griddle better because you can control the heat, but a pan works too!
Do I need the rolling pin and lefse stick?
Honestly, I think you could get away with a regular rolling pin. But I do love the texture that the corrugated rolling pin gives the lefse! Also, you don’t necessarily need a lefse stick but you will need something thin and long, like an offset spatula, to transfer the flatbread from the rolling surface to the griddle.
More holiday breads
The Best Cranberry Apple Stollen
Cranberry Orange Scones with Ginger
Cinnamon Swirl Bread with Streusel
Cookie Butter Cinnamon Star Bread
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Norwegian Potato Lefse
Ingredients
- 4 pounds russet potatoes (1,850 grams)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, preferably European (113 grams)
- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling (450 grams)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons sugar (32 grams)
- 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream (300 milliliters)
Instructions
- Start by peeling the potatoes and cutting them into quarters. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil, add the potatoes and boil them until they are fork tender, about 15-18 minutes.
- Rice the potatoes into a pot or large mixing bowl. You should have about 10 cups (1,040 grams) of riced potatoes. While the potatoes are still hot, add the butter and stir the mixture until the butter is melted and incorporated. Evenly spread the potatoes into a 9×13 pan and refrigerate the potatoes, uncovered, overnight.
- The next day, add the chilled potatoes, flour, salt, sugar, and heavy whipping cream to the bowl of a stand mixer. (Depending on the size of your mixer, you may have to do this in 2 batches.) Using a dough hook, mix everything together until a thick dough forms.
- Dust a pastry board or wood board with a generous dusting of flour. Using a corrugated rolling pin, roll each dough disc, turning it a quarter after every 2-3 rolls, until you have a thin, round flatbread.
- Use a lefse stick to carefully transfer the lefse to the hot griddle. Cook the lefse for 1-2 minutes on each side until it's thoroughly cooked through and has small golden spots. Don't overcook the lefse or it will end up brittle. Let the lefse cool completely for a couple of minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Once the lefse is completely cooled, stack the lefse and wrap them in a tea towel to keep them from drying out. Place the stack of lefse in a zipper bag or airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Serve the lefse warm or at room temperature with butter, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, jam, meatballs, deli meat, and anything else you like. Enjoy!
Notes
xo Sara Lynn
Song of the day – Let It Snow by She & Him
Originally posted in 2015.
Hello! Are you related to Sara Lynn Naas?
Lisbeth:-)
Hi Lisbeth, I am not related to her, but I like her name 😉
Hello, could I repost these photos and recipe if I credit you?
Hello Guilia, thanks for reaching out! I charge for use of my photos and recipes. If you are interested in partnering, please fill out my contact form above and I will get back to you ASAP. Thank you!
Thank you for making something that looks nothing like a crepe and more like a tortilla. Like you, I grew up with these. My Dad was first generation Norwegian in the US. My Mom’s family decidedly English. My aunt taught my Mom to cook these.. maybe not so fancy as yours, though… yes, the potatoes might have been cooked the night before… deliberate “leftovers” from last night’s dinner. Rolling pin, hmmm… guess so, not no fancy scoop’s just the large mixing spoon, often pressed a bit between palms before being propped onto the floured board and rolled out. Fingertips pressed an edge against the rolling pin when they were just right, and the pin carried the lefse to the stove. There, a large iron skillet sat heating over a gas flame, waiting for it’s turn in the process. Never took long. Although the pan wasn’t on high heat, lefse isn’t thick and soon was flipped with the longest broadest spatula I the kitchen, mostly reserved for just that task, and served….
One at a time, warm, ready for butter, and whatever tasty morsels were added. As you said, breakfast might include an egg and bacon or sausage .. lunch could have been meat and/or cheese…
Sometimes it was cottage cheese…UES with Cardamon seeds !!!
Dessert were the sweet treats. Butter and sugar, or cinnamon sugar, maybe leftover frosting from a cake.
Yes – always available, for any meal, but Mom’s almost never made it to the fridge for later.
P. s. A side note… how about Krumkake ?
Aww these sound like so many amazing memories! I’m definitely going to try it for breakfast with eggs and bacon. 🙂 I have not posted a recipe for krumkake yet, but I definitely want to next holiday season! xx.
Sorry about my typos… fones don’t leave much option for scrolling thru to check… and while I mentioned the cast iron skillet I didn’t count out that the bottom of the pan was the cooking surface, rather than inside, which would have made it a bit more difficult, both to roll out and to flip. Our lefse was always plate sized !
Thanks again for sharing ?
Your recipe & explanation of the important steps of mastering the technique of making Lefse are spot on. You only need to add more importance to the Lefse stick & it’s positive application in transferring the thin rolled bread from flowered surface to griddle. How to roll it on to & off of the stick is an art then to use the stick to flip the nicely browned bread one time and on to your stack of Lefse
Thank you, Robert! The lefse stick is definitely so important, thank you for sharing!
I can’t wait to try your tips – I’ve learned with the instant mashed recipe and am about to try tackling with the real potatoes. As my grandma said to me “being Norwegian is a LOT of work!!” I didn’t think it was as hard as she said – and I think your tips will be really helpful to take some of the extra work out of the lefse as I learn to perfect this treat!! I’m not sure why it is just for holidays. We recently tried all kinds of fun things on the lefse – including peanut butter and bananas – a little chocolate and peppermint dust – and apricot jelly was my favorite!!
Thank you so much, Andrea! It’s definitely worth it to make the lefse with fresh potatoes. 🙂 Also, I agree – I think lefse should be a year round thing. I’m definitely going to try it with apricot jelly, so delicious!