Light and delicious, this Lefse recipe comes together easily with only a few simple ingredients. This holiday classic is perfect for any meal of the day.
In a medium saucepan, add the potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and enough water to cover them by 1-inch. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and continue cooking until fork-tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain well.
Immediately press the hot potatoes through a ricer and into a large bowl. (if you don’t have a ricer, press the potatoes through a colander or sieve.) Stir in the butter until just melted and combined. Stir in the cream and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt until fully combined. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, or up to 3 days.
To the chilled mashed potatoes, stir in the flour until well combined. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth, about 1 minute. Roll into a 16-inch long rope, cut into 16 (1-inch) portions, and shape each portion into a ball. Cover with a kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.
Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. On a heavily floured surface, working with one dough ball at a time, roll the ball into a 6-inch circle. Carefully transfer to the skillet. Cook, turning once, until speckled golden brown, about 30 to 45 seconds per side. Repeat with the remaining dough balls, lightly coating the pan with cooking spray and wiping the skillet clean, as needed.
Notes
Avoid adding too much flour to your dough by measuring your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake and will make your lefse potato flatbread dense. The best way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one, then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
You can keep the potato flatbreads warm by covering them with a tea towel or placing them in a sheet pan in a 170F oven.
If you have leftover mashed potatoes from the holidays, you can repurpose them with this lefse recipe. Simply use 2 cups of mashed potatoes and skip adding the butter, cream, and salt as the mashed potatoes should already have those added.
I prefer using a ricer over a masher when preparing the potatoes, as a potato ricer yields fluffier, lump-free potatoes.
To help with the timing of cooking and rolling, place one rolled dough in the skillet, then immediately begin rolling the next ball. Flip and continue cooking. Remove lefse from skillet. Add the next rolled dough, and continue.