This recipe is my take on Norwegian potato flatbread (lefse). Without really knowing what I was doing, these came out delightfully tender, supple, almost fabric-like in texture, and tasting deliciously like something between a crêpe and a potato pancake. They’re traditionally served with butter and a sprinkle of sugar, but I also enjoy them with some smoked salmon, sour cream, and fresh dill. My other favorite topping combo is butter and some kind of berry jam and sour cream.
Preparation Details
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr 35 mins
Total Time: 4 hrs 55 mins
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 large russet potato
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, or as needed
Steps
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line an oven-safe skillet or baking pan with aluminum foil.
- Poke potato skin all over with a knife; place in the prepared skillet.
- Cook in the preheated oven until very tender and easily pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Set aside until cool enough to handle but still very warm.
- Scoop potato flesh into a bowl; mash with the back of a spatula until smooth and no lumps remain. (You can also use a potato ricer.) Add butter; stir until melted and combined. Stir in cream, salt, and sugar until smooth. Cover bowl; refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
- Stir in flour, in several additions, until dough can be kneaded by hand, adding 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 wrap; refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
- Divide dough into 8 portions. Dust each portion with flour and roll out on a well-floured kitchen towel to 1/8-inch thick, or thinner.
- Heat a very lightly buttered nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 lefse; cook, poking surface lightly with a fork, until golden brown blisters form, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; keep covered with a towel. Repeat with remaining lefse; stack onto plate. Serve warm.
