An Introduction
My family and most other Norwegians and Swedes, need no explanation as to what lefsa is. But for those who didn't grow up in the Lefsa Tradition I'll offer a few words of explanation. It's basically a flatbread made of potatoes, cream, butter, salt and just enough flour to roll it out and cook it on a lefsa griddle. (See photos below.) I like mine slathered with butter and rolled up. Sometimes I make a roll-up with leftover turkey. Some people like theirs with cinnamon and sugar. Some have even used peanut butter and jelly. Making lefsa is not for sissies. It's labor intensive and requires a certain amount of skill and practice.
It is also not what most consider healthy. However, tradition is tradition and it's only once a year. I just finished my lefsa for the season and thought I'd share some of my tips with you.
Norwegian Roots and the Lefsa Tradition
Tradition demands that we--my Scandinavian family--make Lefsa every year for the holidays. My grandparents, Dagfin and Petra Olsen, brought the tradition with them when they sailed from Norway to the United States in the late 1800's. They made their way west and settled in Barton, North Dakota. Much later, they moved all the way west and settled in Longview, WA.
My mother and aunts carried on the tradition and passed it on to me. I started watching the lefsa making as a child and learned first hand how to make the best.
The Recipe for Authentic Lefsa
8 cups of mashed potatoes
1 cup butter
1 cup of cream (half & half)
2 T salt
Flour (about 5 cups)
Traditionally we boiled enough russet potatoes to make about 8 cups of mashed potatoes. As with any old family recipes there's a bit of guessing involved. Be sure to get all the lumps out of the potatoes. Ricing them helps. I used to be a stickler for using real potatoes, but dealing with that many potatoes and getting them fine enough is hard when you get into your 70's. Thus, I began using the best brand of potato buds, Yes, instant mashed potatoes. I found a recipe my mother got from a fellow Scandinavian in 1991 and thought I'd try it. I could not tell the difference except that they were so smooth and easy to work with. Saves a ton of work and my body thanks me.
This time, I used an entire box of potato buds which made nine cups of mashed potatoes. This made 26 rounds of lefsa.
Once you have your potatoes mashed and the cream, salt and butter added, refrigerate overnight. DO NOT add the flour, not even a smidgen until you are ready to roll the dough out and grill it. If you add flour and don't cook the lefsa right away, it will be ruined.
When you do add your flour add 1/2, mix it in and then add a cupful at a time until the dough is manageable. The biggest mistake novice lefsa makers make is using too much flour.
Once you can handle the dough cut it in quarters and make 4 logs. Lay them on a plastic covered cookie sheet or counter and make sure they stay covered. Slice your first log into workable slices. Dough will be a bit sticky. (See photo)
Give yourself a full day to make your lefsa. You won't need that much time unless you take a lot of breaks, but you will have about 3 hours or more of standing. This is not a sit down job.
Prepare Your Station
You'll need a fairly large work station. I cleared my countertop and cleaned up my mess from mixing my dough. Then set out my cloth covered pastry board, extra flour, my lefsa griddle, a bath towel folded in half, my lefsa rolling pin and the thin turning stick for transferring and turning the lefsa. In the photo you'll see a layout that works well.
Here is a website where you can order your lefsa making equipment. Most of the equipment comes from Bethany in Minnesota, Amazon.com
It's rather expensive and I have gotten mine one at a time. My brother made me a rolling pin and wooden blade and I used a regular griddle before I got my fancy supplies.
Photo of My Lefsa Station:
A rolled out lefsa round is laying on the board awaiting its turn on the griddle. The lefsa on the griddle is done on one side and had been flipped over. When it's finished it will be placed flat inside the folded towel to keep it soft. After a few minutes it will be folded into quarters and tucked up into the towel. (You can see this step below)
The Roll Out
Okay, let's back up a bit and talk about rolling out these doughy pieces of goodness.
Take your first piece of dough from your log. Sprinkle flour on your pastry board and pat it into a ball. I do mine about the size of a tennis ball.
Press the dough with your hand until it is about 3/8ths of an inch thick.
Roll out as you would pastry, adding just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the board or rolling pin. Turn often and keep it as round as you can. I don't obsess over the shape as long as it is sort of round.
Thinness is a Must
The thicker your lefsa is, the tougher it will be. Three things make it tough, Too much flour, handling the dough too much and not getting them thin enough.
Once you reach the point where you can't lift and flip without tearing the dough, use your special then lefsa stick to turn your round over and then give it another swipe or two with the rolling pin.
How thin is thin? I can see the writing and lines on my pastry board through the dough. You may need some practice and will likely get a few tough rounds until you master the roll out. (Note: Your lefsa will thicken a bit as it cooks.)
Here is a photo of how thin I do mine.
Grilling to Perfection
Once your lefsa round is rolled out it's time to cook it. I was fortunately enough to get a Lefsa grill a few years ago for my birthday. Before that I used a rectangular griddle and made them smaller. Turn your grill to about 350 degrees.
Use your lefsa turning stick and very carefully insert it under your lefsa round. Turn it until you get to the center of your round and lift. Keep the stick flat when you lift. Lay it on the grill and unroll from the stick.
While your lefsa grills on the first side, roll out your next round. It takes a few minutes before it turns golden brown. It will be speckled. Use your stick to check the progress.
Once it's done, flip it and wait. When the second side is done transfer the round to the towel and cover it to keep it moist, Before the second round is finished, fold the round and place it deeper in the towel making sure it is not exposed to the air.
This will keep the lefsa soft and easy to use.
Eating and Storing
Once cooled, place it in plastic bags. Unless we are going to eat them right away, (within a day or two) freeze the lefsa. I put two to three in the bags for freezing since there are only two of us at home now.
Lefsa can be dried out and served as a crispy flat bread. Dry and hard it can last a long time. Sometimes Scandinavians in need hard tack to get them through the long harsh winters. I like it crisp and will sometimes toast a piece or two in the oven until crisp.
I usually tear the round in half (2 servings) and serve buttered and rolled up. Yum..
I hope you enjoy your lefsa as much as I enjoy mine.
Warmest Holiday wishes, Pat
