The Nordic Company Presents-Learning How to Make Lefse

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Now that the holidays are fast approaching, aside from travel, The Nordic Company has also been thinking about food. Specifically, with the potato being one of the most readily available produces of the Midwest, we find ourselves craving some smooth Scandinavian lefse!

Lefse is a traditional, soft, flat potato bread made with flour, butter, and cream that has been carried over from the homeland. Well into the 1800’s, approximately 30,000 Norwegians immigrated to Wisconsin – where the Nordic Company is located – and consequently, nearly 10% of the Wisconsin population can claim Norwegian descent today.

This also means that a lot of us are highly skilled in the art of lefse-making. Lefse can be used to compliment a holiday dinner, to satisfy a late afternoon craving, or even to excite you for your upcoming, Scandinavian vacation! The Nordic Company knows there are many ways to prepare you for your wonderful holiday travels and lefse is not a bad place to start. Delight you taste buds with the following recipe…

Lefse

Give yourself approximately 1.5 hours to complete. You may use a lefse griddle, grooved lefse rolling pin, and flat wooden lefse turners, but they are not essential. You can also use an electric frying pan, a pancake turner, and a large mixing bowl.

Yields: 24 pieces of bread

- 4 cups of mashed or riced potatoes
- 1 stick of butter (or margarine)
- 1/3 cup of milk
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 cups of flour
- extra flour for rolling out the dough.

Measure out the potatoes into a large mixing bowl. In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter in the milk; stir in the sugar and salt. Then pour over the cold potatoes and mix well. Stir two cups of flour until the dough becomes sticky and soft.

You may now heat the griddle or frying pan, but do not add any oil. Lefse is baked only on a dry surface.

Grab an egg-sized lump of dough and place a teaspoon of flour on the surface where you intend to roll out the lefse. Starting in the center, roll dough outward until the lefse is about the size of a dinner plate. Careful not to roll the lefse out too thin. If it breaks when you pick it up, start over. When sticking occurs, add more flour.

After you roll out your lefse, transfer it to the griddle and bake until brown freckles start to appear. Turn lefse over and complete the same on the opposite side. When done, remove from the griddle and place on a dishtowel and cover with another towel.

Stack the lefse pieces within the dishtowel and wait for it to cool. Once cool, wrap it in aluminum foil to keep in the moisture. When you’re ready to eat, spread it with butter, sprinkle a little sugar or cinnamon on it, and roll it into a log. Once the lefse is cooled, you may also freeze it for later use.

Enjoy!