We really recommend that you mix up your dough, scoop out your patties and get right to rolling. I know there are a lot of you out there that when it comes to making lefse, it’s a marathon! You might be cooking up to 20lbs of potatoes and want to get as much done in advance as you can. Patties made a day before tend to “breakdown” overnight. They can get discolored and watery, turning into a rolling nightmare. Now a few hour in advance? No problem, just keep the patties on the chilly side.
Well you can substitute ingredients in your lefse recipe but you won’t get the same lefse your used to getting. Changes to the recipe can really alter how your lefse tastes, the texture, and how it performs rolling & cooking. So if you are looking to use half & half, you may need to cut back in the amount a just a bit. I don’t think that lefse is bad for you…but maybe you can cut back on all the butter and sugar you eat it with. :)
Nope! You don’ have to wash it. Take your pastry cloth off the board and give it a hearty shake outside. I always suggest outside- you don’t want a flour cloud in the house, there’s already enough flour everywhere! So you can then stretch the cloth back over the board and store somewhere cool and dry until next week. If it’s gonna be longer than that, take your freshly shaken cloth, fold a couple times and place into a zip top bag. Toss it in the freezer until your ready again. Tip! Be sure and pull the cloth out of the bag immediately, there could be a bit of frost in the bag.
First things first, take your pastry cloth & cozies outside and give them a big ole shake! Shake out as much flour as you can. Then go ahead and toss them in the wash. Our best tip? Be sure to use unscented detergent and no fabric softener or dryer sheets. You could end up with ‘Spring Fresh’ scented lefse! I had to learn that lesson the hard way MANY years ago. :)
A well prepped rolling pin makes lefse rolling a snap! Take your clean and dry corrugated rolling pin and pack each groove completely with flour. We found that using a tray full of flour and rolling your pin back and forth through the flour is super handy. But be sure to firmly push the flour into each groove. Do this step between each sheet of lefse you roll.
A well prepped pastry cloth will prevent your lefse dough from sticking. Stretch your cloth tightly over the pastry board. Place a couple tablespoons of flour over the cloth. Begin rubbing the flour into the cloth with your hands, use firm pressure and try to push the flour into the cloth. If the flour all goes in, keep adding more until it won’t take anymore. Then sprinkle additional flour over the surface and spread lightly over the surface. Give an additional sprinkle over the center area, where every patty starts for rolling. Re-prep your board between every sheet with a light sprinkle of flour, a little pressure to rub, additional sprinkle to lightly cover surface and the additional sprinkle in the center.
This is the “what do your prefer” answer again. Historically and traditionally speaking, the 7/8″ stick is the choice. At Lefse Time we have found the 1 1/2″ stick to make things a little quicker when flipping the lefse.
Lefse possibilities are endless! Of course there is butter and sugar- brown or white. Or try ligonberry spread. Fill it with eggs, sausage and cheese for a mimic of a breakfast burrito. Spread it with peanut butter and jelly- a new twist on an old classic. Fill it with meatballs and sauce. And on and on…. Visit our recipe section for even more great ideas.
Absolutely not! You can use any pin to make lefse. Traditionally the corrugated pin is used. The corrugated pin works wonderfully to get the sheet nice and thin with no air pockets. At Lefse Time we like it for the results we get and the authentic markings on a cooked sheet of lefse. The smooth rolling pin is the standard pin you see in the kitchen because it is so versatile, you can roll pie crust, cookie dough or lefse. The square cut pin does the same work as the corrugated pin but just not as popular.
Well mostly you have some work ahead of you. You will need to scrape what dough you can from it, soak it in soapy water and give it a good scrub. Be sure to let the pin air dry completely before your next use. How do you keep sticks from happening? Lots of flour on rolling pin covers! Your rolling pin will need constant prep with flour. At Lefse Time we are sure to rub plenty of flour on the pin before every sheet.
The easiest thing to do is grab a butter knife and gently scrape the dough off the sticky spot on your pastry cloth. Then liberally spread and rub in flour over that spot. Scrape again and repeat rubbing in flour over the spot. Our best advice is prevention, be sure to sprinkle flour over your rolling area between every sheet. Don’t worry you can dust off a lot of that flour after your sheet has cooled.
Cleaning your rolling pin and board really depends on how soon you will be using it again. If it’s going to be put away until next holiday season it’s best to give it a thorough cleaning. For the rolling pin it works well to brush out the flour with a stiff bristled brush before washing. Once you have the flour brushed out, give your pin a quick wash in warm soapy water and dry immediately. To clean the pastry cloth, untie it, remove from the board and shake out as much flour as you can (best to shake outside). Then you can launder it but use little to no detergent. Most detergents are scented and your flour and lefse can pick that up when your rolling. But if you are going to be using your items soon you can store without washing. Brush out your pin and shake out the cloth as best you can, put the cloth back onto the board. Then store both somewhere they will stay dry.
No, but we have found that ricing potatoes takes out every lump. By using a ricer, you get beautiful fluffy riced potatoes with little effort and you will have smooth dough to roll and cook with. Lumps can equal holes in your lefse sheets when rolling.
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. Lefse can be kept 6 months in the freezer if properly wrapped.