Norwegian Flatbreads Lefse Food

NORWEGIAN POTATO FLATBREAD (LEFSE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line an oven-safe skillet or baking pan with aluminum foil.
• Poke the potato skin all over with a knife and place on the prepared pan.
• Roast in the preheated oven until very tender and easily pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Let sit until cool enough to handle but still very warm.
• Scoop potato flesh out into a bowl. Mash smooth with the back of a spatula until there are no lumps left. You can also use a potato ricer. Add the butter and mix until it disappears. Add the salt, sugar, and cream; mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
• Mix in flour in several additions until the dough is able to be kneaded by hand. Add enough flour to form a soft, but not too sticky, dough. You need to be able to roll it out fairly thin without it falling apart.
• Wrap dough with plastic and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
• Divide dough into 8 portions. Dust each with flour and roll out onto a well-floured kitchen towel to 1/8-inch thick, or thinner.
• Heat a very lightly buttered nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Cook the lefse in the hot pan, poking the surface lightly with a fork, until golden brown blisters form, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Stack on a plate as they're cooked and keep covered with a towel. Serve warm.

LEFSE- NORWEGIAN FLAT BREAD

Steps:

• Peel and cut potatoes. Boil in well salted water until soft. Use more salt than you normally would. You do not want to add salt once they are cooked as it will not dissolve as well.
• Drain well and return to pot. Steam for a few minutes to ensure all water has been evaporated.
• Measure out 4 cups of potatoes, packed well. Rice potatoes now while potatoes are still hot. You may have potatoes left over.
• Place riced potatoes in a plastic bowl with a good sealing lid. Add butter and milk and mash with a HAND masher. Do NOT use an electric mixer as it will get sticky.
• Allow to cool on the counter until potatoes are at room temperature then place several paper towels on top, seal tightly with the lid and place in the refrigerator overnight.
• Next day: Much easier to work with. Mix in flour and sugar and form into small balls. Now roll them out thin and flat using a rolling pin, preferably one with grooves and covered with a sock. You can just cut an old CLEAN sock and slide it over the rolling pin.
• Using a lefse stick or a long flat stick or long thin spatula roll the raw lefse around the stick and then unroll onto a HOT griddle (450 degrees) Flip once the first side starts to form bubbles and is lightly browned or freckled. Cook other side just until lightly browned.
• Using stick again remove lefse from griddle to a towel and place a towel on top to keep them warm and pliable.
• Eat warm or store in the refrigerator in a well sealed container lined with more paper towels. Can also be frozen with waxed paper between each lefse.

NORWEGIAN FLATBREADS

Steps:

• In medium saucepan over high heat, combine potatoes and cold water to cover. Cover and bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well and force potatoes through ricer or food mill into large bowl. Stir in butter. Add salt and cream and stir until smooth. Add flour and stir until dough forms (do not overmix). Cover and chill at least 6 hours and up to 3 days.
• In small bowl, whisk together sugar and cinnamon. Lightly oil 10-inch cast iron skillet and set over moderately low heat. Have ready rolling pin, pastry bench scraper, and thin metal spatula.
• Turn dough out onto well-floured work surface. Using pastry bench scraper, cut in half and return half to bowl. Cut other piece in half again; cut 1 piece into 8 small pieces and reserve other piece.
• Pat 1 small piece to flatten. Dough may be very soft and sticky, depending on moisture content of potato - add some of 3 cups flour as needed to prevent sticking. Using scraper, flip dough over and pat again to flatten. Roll patty out to 7-inch circle.
• Using pastry bench scraper, carefully transfer flatbread to hot skillet and cook until dough bubbles and is beginning to brown underneath, less than 1 minute. Using thin, flexible metal spatula, flip flatbread over and cook other side until lightly brown, about 1 minute. Transfer to plate and brush off any excess flour. Scrape any excess flour out of skillet.
• Repeat rolling and cooking with 8 small pieces of dough, then divide remaining piece of dough on counter into 8 pieces and roll and cook each piece. Repeat process with remaining dough in bowl to make 32 flatbreads.
• To serve, brush warm lefse with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, and roll up. Serve warm.

NORWEGIAN LEFSE

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl mix potatoes, milk, butter, salt and 3/4 cup of flour.
• Kneed briefly on lightly floured board, adding flour to make the
• dough non-sticky.
• Divide dough into 12 equal balls; roll each on lightly floured
• board into a circle paper thin.
• Lightly oil a heavy skillet or crepe pan; set over medium heat.
• Cook one at a time, until lightly browned, about one minute on
• each side.
• Stack on a plate with a paper towel in between each one.
• Freeze leftovers, and thaw throughout the year and enjoy a favorite anytime.

NORWEGIAN POTATO AND RYE PANCAKE FLATBREADS - LEFSE

Steps:

• Put the mashed potatoes into a large bowl and add the flour, sugar and salt - mix well.
• Add some water - bit by bit, kneading well so it makes a pliable dough.
• Take little balls from the dough - the size of a small egg and roll them out thinly on a well floured surface.
• Heat up a flat griddle, hotplate or skillet and cook the Lefse with a little fat until the dough bubbles.
• Turn them over and cook the other side.
• When the Lefse have been cooked - they should be smooth and soft.
• Eat them as I have suggested in the Introduction!
• For Vegetarian make sure the Fat is from a Vegetable product such as vegetable oil not from an animal product such as lard.