* Exported from MasterCook *
Norwegian Wrapping Flatbread - Lefse
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 32 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : LowCal (Less than 300 cals) LowerCarbs
Unleavened
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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2 pounds old potatoes -- or mealy potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
1/3 cup softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream -- (32% butterfat)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour -- approximately, plus extra for rolling
The day before you wish to serve lefse, prepare the dough:
Place the potatoes in a large pot and add water to just cover. Bring to a boil and cook until soft. Drain, and mash thoroughly; there must be no small lumps to interfere with rolling out the breads. (We're told that many lefse makers now use instant mashed potatoes or flaked potatoes because of the need to have the potatoes absolutely smooth and lump-free.)
Transfer the potatoes to a bowl. Stir in butter, cream, and salt, and blend well. Sift and stir in 2 cups flour. Work the dough into a ball; DO NOT KNEAD. If the dough feels very sticky, add a little more flour; potatoes vary in moisture content, so the amount of flour you need to make a workable dough will vary. Cover and refrigerate overnight, well sealed in plastic wrap.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Divide in two, and set half aside, covered with plastic wrap. (You can also wrap the dough in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.)
Divide the piece of dough into 16 equal pieces. (This will yield lefse slightly smaller than those made by Judy's Aunt Effie, and therefore easier to handle and to cook evenly in a skillet.) Keeping your hands and work surface lightly floured, flatten one piece of dough with the palm of your hand, turning it over once or twice as you do so. Using a light touch and a rolling pin, (ideally, a grooved pin), roll the dough out, rolling from the center outward and rotating it an eighth to a quarter-turn between each stroke, to a very thin round, 8 to 10 inches across. Turn the dough over occasionally and keep your work surface and rolling pin very lightly floured to prevent sticking. Slide the bread from one side of your work surface and start rolling out the next one.
At first you may wish to roll out eight breads and cook them before you start rolling out the others. as you develop a rhythm, you will be able to roll out breads while you cook. Remember as you roll them out that even slightly-thicker-than perfection lefse will still look and taste wonderful.
Heat an electric frying pan to 350F or heat a lefse maker or large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, transfer a rolled-out bread to the pan and cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute, or until lightly speckled with gold, but not brown. Turn over and cook the other side. (The butter in the dough will keep it from sticking.) Lift the bread out gently and transfer to a plate. Continue cooking the rolled-out breads, then roll out and cook the remaining dough. If you plan on storing the lefse in the refrigerator, place a sheet of waxed paper between each, since they tend to stick to each other when cooled. In our house they are devoured almost as they are made, so we don't bother with the waxed paper. You can store them for several days on a plate, well wrapped in plastic at room temperature, or for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator; reheat in a dry medium-hot skillet just before eating.
Serve with granulated sugar or honey or homemade berry jam for breakfast, a late afternoon snack, or for dessert. Sprinkle each bread lightly with sugar, or brush lightly with honey or jam, and roll it up neatly before eating. A friend raised on English pancakes suggested we try a squeeze of lemon on the sugared bread before rolling it up - delicious, if untraditional. Lefse also make a great addition to a smorgasbord as a sweet course, accompanied by fresh berries and strong coffee.
Makes 32 thin, supple round flatbreads; 8 to 10-inches in diameter.
AuthorNote: Our friend Judy is from Minnesota, from a family of Norwegian extraction. ...Every region, every family, seems to have a preferred style: Some are fine and supple, rich with butter and cream, and soft with cooked mashed potato; others are made only with potato, flour,and water. Judy also describes another traditional way of eating lefse, wrapped around slices of smoked meat or cheese and meat combinations, like a rolled-up sandwich.
Lefse are easier to roll out if the dough is made a day ahead and refrigerated overnight, as described below. They need an even heat, so an electric frying pan (or a lefse maker) is ideal, but a heavy well-seasoned cast-iron skillet will do. The rolling pin commonly used for lefse has fine groove in it to help prevent the dough from sticking to the pin as you roll. We manage without a grooved pin, using instead a very small lightweight wooden pin and keeping it well floured.
Though it is tempting to knead the dough, try to resist, for kneading produces a tougher lefse than tradition finds acceptable, though still soft and of course somewhat easier to roll out.
Cuisine:
"Scandinavian"
Source:
"Flatbreads & Flavors: A Baker's Atlas by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid, William Morrow, 1995"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):
"Oct 2011"
Yield:
"32 8 to 10-inch wrappers"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 77 Calories; 3g Fat (38.1% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 10mg Cholesterol; 103mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat.
Nutr. Assoc. : 4608 1553 0 0 0
