Ballard-Style Lefse
Soft, thin potato flatbread rolled with butter and a little sugar, a Norwegian staple kept alive in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood.
- Prep
- 60 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 100 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 180 kcal
Equipment
- •Griddle
- •Lefse rolling pin
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 180 kcal
- fat
- 5
- carbs
- 30
- protein
- 3
- calories
- 180
Instructions
- 1
Boil the potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork. Press them through a ricer while they are still hot.
- 2
Stir in the butter, cream, and salt. Spread the mixture out to cool completely, ideally overnight in the refrigerator.
- 3
Mix the flour into the chilled potato mixture until a soft, easy-to-handle dough forms.
- 4
Divide the dough into golf-ball-sized portions.
- 5
Dust your work surface with flour. Roll each piece into a very thin, round sheet using a grooved lefse rolling pin.
- 6
Heat a dry griddle over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
- 7
Cook each round for 1 to 2 minutes per side until light brown spots appear.
- 8
Stack the cooked flatbreads between clean kitchen towels to keep them soft. Serve rolled with butter and sugar.
Chef's tips
Make sure the potatoes are completely cold before adding flour so the dough does not turn gummy. Roll the dough as thin as you can.
Storage
Stack with parchment between layers and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheating
Warm briefly on a dry skillet or let come to room temperature before serving.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding flour to warm potatoes, which makes the dough sticky and dense.
- •Rolling the dough too thick instead of paper-thin.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Ballard-Style Lefse?
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