Lefse Turning Sticks

[Chestnut]

Making Lefse is a thanksgiving tradition which this year I will be able to attend. During coordination conversations my mom mentioned that we needed more turners and I might be able to make some as they are a fairly simple stick. So i did some research to determine how they are used and figure out what would make a good turning stick.

I found that there is the traditional size of 7/8" wide and a modern size of 1.5" wide. The wood they are typically made out of is spruce, which is a common tree in Norway. Birch is also quite common. I choose birch because I had some available and I wasn't willing to cut down my Norway Spruce just to make some turners. That said If i never need to cut my Norway Spruce down I'll be turning that log into boards.

This picture shows the 3 I have made. They start off as a 5/8" blank. To thin them out I ran the blank over the jointer set to 3/16" cut until I got to the handle portion ~4" from the end. I would then stop turn the jointer off and lift the blank off the bed. This left a profile that was around 1/4" thick to the handle. The leading edge really needs to be knife sharp to get under the lefse. To accomplish this i clamped the blanks down and tapered the end 12" with a hand plane. To finish the tip I used my ROS and just free handed the sharp point.

I cut some finer grooves in the handle with the band saw and cleaned everything up with various sanders.

I used my leg vise router table to put a rounder over on the handles to make them more comfortable.

Finish is going to be 2 coats of tried and true. I've started using this and really like it. It applies quick and easy and is harder wearing than just wax and oil. It's become my go to for food related items.

[Chet]

Okay, now that you have the turners, what is Lefse?

[wtnhighlander]

2 hours ago, Chet said:

Okay, now that you have the turners, what is Lefse?

I second that question!

[Coop]

Stuff that you can’t use a spurtle on when preparing? 

I looked it up and sounds darn good. A Mexican tortilla made with potatoes.

Nut, mind sharing your recipe? 

[Mark J]

A Mexican tortilla from Norway!? 

[Chestnut]

Ken some days I can't tell if your joking or not...

Potato Lefse is a Norwegian flatbread made from Riced potatoes, flour, butter, and cream. It's cooked on a circular flat griddle. I don't have the recipe but I'll try and get it and share it.

There is a more traditional version that is made with just flour eggs and buttermilk. Once made it can be stored without refrigeration for 6 months and was used by Vikings during sea voyages as food. It's commonly eaten with Lutefisk, but now is eaten with butter and sugar, jelly, or eggs and ham.

[pkinneb]

On 11/23/2021 at 8:32 AM, Chestnut said:

Ken some days I can't tell if your joking or not...

Potato Lefse is a Norwegian flatbread made from Riced potatoes, flour, butter, and cream. It's cooked on a circular flat griddle. I don't have the recipe but I'll try and get it and share it.

There is a more traditional version that is made with just flour eggs and buttermilk. Once made it can be stored without refrigeration for 6 months and was used by Vikings during sea voyages as food. It's commonly eaten with Lutefisk, but now is eaten with butter and sugar, jelly, or eggs and ham.

How do we place an order? :)

My aunt used to make this but unfortunately she passed many years ago. When I was little this was a staple for us during the holidays a little butter and sugar , and mm good

[Mark J]

OK, now I'm hungry.

[Coop]

No sir, not kidding. It sounds darn good! 

[B1rdhunter]

It is pretty tasty, I help my Norwegian bride with the making of Lefse and Kringle most every year. Quartersawn sycamore works for a lefse turner also.

[Coop]

You almost busted my bubble. When I first read it, I thought you said it was pretty nasty. Then I saw your contented face and I re-read it! 

[Chestnut]

So recipie, this is close to what we used but we made a much larger batch. Our batch used 10 lbs of russet potatoes.

Russet potatoes (6 medium), 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup milk, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 2 2/3 to 3 cups flour, extra flour for rolling, butter, sugar (white or brown)

Potatoes are boiled until fork tender (the fork pieces the potato but they are still somewhat firm). Potatoes are riced, butter milk sugar salt are mixed and the mixture is cooled overnight. Following day mix flour by hand, chill again for an hour. Make 2" diameter balls, and flatten to hockey puck size. The smoother the edges of the puck the nicer the lefse will roll out. The uneven edges are from cracks.

Lefse is rolled cold with a grooved or textured rolling pin on a pastry cloth. Both the cloth and the pin should have flour worked into the surface to prevent sticking. Refresh flour on the pin and pastry cloth after each piece rolled out. If using a pastry cloth you should be able to almost read the lettering through the lefse. So very thin. I didn't get pictures of this because i was the griddle operator and was busy. To move the lefse you slide the point of the turner under the center so the point extends out the other side and lift strait up. The griddle is 500F and it's best to not start making if the griddle is cooler than 450F.

To place the lefse you set one of the hanging edges down and roll the turner laying the lefse flat. This is not like making pancakes. It only takes 30-90 seconds per side so don't get distracted. Once you see uniform bubbles your getting close to being done. I lift an edge with the turner to check for color.

Keep a cotton towel on hand to wipe excess flour off the griddle after each piece. The cloth can also be used to move the lefse around on the griddle if you didn't hit the center as well as you hoped.

We stack the cooked lefse on cloth to cool to room temperature before folding and packaging. Shelf life is a few days in the refridgerator, so if you want it to keep longer freeze it. Should be good 6 months-1year frozen.

[B1rdhunter]

Looks like whoever was rolling them out knew what they were doing.   Yum

[Chestnut]

9 minutes ago, B1rdhunter said:

Looks like whoever was rolling them out knew what they were doing.   Yum

An 88 year old Norwegian. She might have done it a time or three.

[Mark J]

When you and Coop are ready to do the cross-cultural culinary experiment of lefse and tomato gravy let me know.  I'll be a volunteer taste tester.  

[BonPacific]

I haven't had Lefse in years... But that might have to change soon. My Norsk family used to layer them with butter/cinnamon/sugar and stack them up into a sort of cake that would then be sliced.

Great looking turners, and great looking food.

 

[Coop]

On 12/3/2021 at 8:58 AM, Mark J said:

When you and Coop are ready to do the cross-cultural culinary experiment of lefse and tomato gravy let me know.  I'll be a volunteer taste tester.  

We are having tomato gravy, homemade biscuits and bacon for breakfast in the morning. It probably is not good after freezing or I would send you some.