Norwegian Lefse Recipe | How to make perfect lefsa every time (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between lefse and Lompe? ›

Lompe or potetkake is the smaller version of the potato lefse, and usually made with only boiled potatoes, flour and salt. It is often used in place of a hot dog bun and can be used to roll up sausages. This is also known as pølse med lompe in Norway.

Lefse should be refrigerated or frozen. Our lefse is made with no preservatives, so it can take a week or so in the fridge. In the refrigerator, it needs to stay in its sealed package or it will dry out. If you don't plan on eating it right away, toss it in the freezer.

What is lefse? (Sometimes misspelled lefsa.) A Scandinavian soft potato-based tortilla-like bread, but bigger and thinner. Traditionally rolled and eaten with butter and sugar, or even plain, although my grandmother liked to roll up meatballs.

If your dough is falling apart, it's likely an indication that the dough has too much flour in it. If the dough falls apart during baking, it may be a sign that you're turning the lefse too early and it's not cooked enough to hold together.

Origin of lefse¹. First recorded in 1980–85; from Norwegian, a derivative of leiv “slice of bread, flatbread, pancake,” from Old Norse hleifr “bread, loaf,” from Germanic hlaibaz; loaf ¹( def )

Lefse is a fantastic example of traditional Norwegian cooking that has its basis in historical baking techniques. Lefse is about as popular today as it was a hundred years ago and more. However, lefse isn't just a traditional food – these days, lefse has been re-imagined in a lot of creative ways.

If the dough feels too sticky add a little more flour, if it is too dry or is cracking when pressed add another couple pats of butter. Taste the Lefse dough as you go*, it should taste like potatoes not flour. The dough should be slightly salty and buttery, but be careful not to over-do-it on the salt.

To prevent cracking on the edges of your sheet when rolling, be sure the edges on your patties are nice and smooth. Make all of your patties in advance to speed things along. Let them rest for 5 minutes before rolling.

Refrigeration is suggested because of the perishable nature of lefse, especially those recipes containing dairy products. Before packaging your lefse, make sure that your sheets are completely cooled; any heat retained will cause condensation in your packaging which gives you soggy lefse.

flour and overworked dough. If you find that your lefse dough is a bit sticky try placing it in the fridge to cool before you decide to add more flour. And be careful not to overwork your lefse dough, this will break down the gluten and make your lefse very tough.

Do you eat lefse warm or cold? ›

Serve lefse warm or at room temperature, spread with softened butter and rolled into a cylinder or folded into quarters. Add sugar or cinnamon sugar for a sweet treat.

You can even use leftover mashed potatoes if you're short on time, and if you don't have a lefse stick, I suggest using your finger to carefully flip the rounds. You can even use a tortilla press instead of a rolling pin if you're somewhat intimidated in the kitchen.

Sometimes the edges cook faster and start to dry out. You can flip them up with the lefse stick so keep them from getting crunchy.

The potato mixture needs to be refrigerated overnight (and up to 2 days). Make the dough just before you cook it. The lefse are best served fresh and warm, but they can be wrapped between layers of plastic wrap and refrigerated for a few days or frozen for longer-term storage.

WHAT IS THE SHELF-LIFE OF THE LEFSE? Our lefse does not contain a lot of preservatives. Once thawed out, it will stay fresh in the refrigerator about 7 days, less if not refrigerated.

Here, lefse is also often called lemse. The Norwegian baking traditions also include a great variety of buns – called boller – and bread, our favourite food.

It looks like a flour tortilla. It rolls like a flour tortilla. It folds like a flour tortilla. But it's lefse (pronounced LEF-sah), a Norwegian flatbread often made with mashed potatoes.

Serve lefse warm or at room temperature, spread with softened butter and rolled into a cylinder or folded into quarters. Add sugar or cinnamon sugar for a sweet treat.

This is my take on Norwegian flatbread. 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 crepe and a potato pancake.