Lefse - part II

Good Morning all!!! The Milk Man is sitting here eating Lefse this morning - his words "If you dont eat Lefse there is somthing seriously wrong in the world". SO, here is the rest of my attempt to show you how to make Lefse. I have to apologize, I am probably not the best teacher - I hope I give you good enough instructions and examples to assist you on doing this.

Once you have let it all cool in the fridge its time to fry it.

First you roll it out with a lefse pin.



The grooves are put into a rolling pin so that you have an opportunity to swear like a sailer every time the lefse get stuck in them....wait - thats not right. They are there because it helps to even the texture and thickness of the lefse. If you use a regular rolling pin, it will be tough. I roll my lefse out onto a dishtowel that has been floured. When I say floured, I mean I put flour onto it and have 'rubbed' it into the fibers so that the lefse wont stick AND so that there is not to much flour left on the rolled sheet of Lefse. As I said before, to much flour makes for VERY DRY lefse. Here are some pictures - I think this will help you figure it out better than me explaining more of it!

See in the second picture you cant see much flour.. Its got the dishtowel 'pregnant' *snicker* Its litterly into the fibers. I could use a pastry thingy, but I dont have one. It is nessicary to reflour your dishtowel at times, but always rub it in.
Once you have this done you take make a ball of Lefse - about the size of 2 golf balls. Roll it around in the flour on your dish towel or pastry sheet till it has a light coating of flour - not a lot of flour ok....

You can make them small if you want to. To start with that may be the best, but make your own judgement on that one. Now I put flour on each side, top and bottom of my dish towel because when you roll Lefse you DONT ROLL IT BACK AND FORTH!!! You roll it away from you, pick it up and roll it a differant direction. IF you roll it back IT WILL STICK causing you great anguish at the loss of non sticking lefse to your rolling pin!! I dont use the handles of the rolling pin either, put your hands on the pin and LIGHTLY press down, let the wieght of the pin do the work. Roll off of the sheet of lefse into the little bit of flour. I do this because when I roll it again, the roller wont stick... it is tricky and takes LOTS of trial and error. I have been doing this for a long time and it STILL STICKS at times.
Sorry if I get a bit long winded or over do it - I really want you to be successful doing this. I know how frustrating it is to make somthing that is labor intensive and have it flop on you! I dont want you to get discouraged - this TAKES TIME to learn. See how good I am at making big letters..... ok back to business.

In a couple of pictures you will see lefse stuck to my rolling pin. I call those pieces, well I cant write what I call those pieces because this is a family blog and those words should not be used around family. That is why the Milk Man takes Lispy and Big Son with him when I am making Lefse.....
We are finally ready, after all this, to roll out the Lefse. First take your ball of Lefse and get it ready...



Then roll it one way, away from you...

Then GENTLY turn it over...


Then roll your little heart out. I roll one way pick it up and roll another. You CAN roll it towards yourself, but always, always, always pick it up. In the next picture you will see the flour on the side of the towel - I use that for re flouring my pin. Roll it in the flour and tap it off, it gives you just enough flour for a couple of rolls, without overdoing it on the flour....


I heard swearing, did someone just say screw this??? Dont give up yet!! We are just getting going everyone!!! There are more oportunitys yet to come!!!



This is what a rolled out sheet of Lefse looks like. It is SO TENDER, or at least should be unless you have over floured it. The honest trick to this is KEEP IT COLD. I leave EVERYTHING in the fridge. I go to the fridge each time I am going to make a ball. It sticks worse when it is to warm. Same for the flour - keep it cold and get it as you need it. I have taken a measuring cup and keep a bit of flour right next to me and that seems to work - I use one that is glass and that has been in the fridge...

Now for the frying... This is Hilda the Lefse griddle, dont mention her age - she is a bit sensative about it. This was the Milk Man's moms griddle, but she gave up on Lefse when I figured it out!



Anyway, you need to pick up your lefse from the towel with the stick, yes I said the stick. Hold the edge of the towel and GENTLY place your stick under the sheet of lefse and slide it under until you come out the other side. Sue, http://athomewiththefarmerswife.blogspot.com/ Can you help that poor soul in the back row - I think she fainted? She's ok? Thanks.. We are almost done I swear...

Lay it on the griddle...




When you first lay it on the griddle you must run your stick GENTLY under the whole thing so that it does not stick to the gridle - then just wait till it browns a little bit.


Then when it is a little bit brown - flip it over...

Then fry it till the air bubble form and thats about 1 or two....

and you are DONE DONE DONE DONE!!!
Now slather some butter on the husband, I mean Lefse, sprinkle a bit of sugar or jam on it and eat it!!!!

I am going back to bed, this has taken me way to long!!!! See you later. I may post again today, because we are doing some interesting things at the farm!!!