Homemade Lefse

Cook the potatoes. Add potatoes to a large pot, cover with cold water, and add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer until very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well.

Dry and rice. Return drained potatoes to the hot pot over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring gently, to steam off excess moisture. Rice the potatoes into a large bowl while still warm.

Mix in the butter and cream, then cool. While the potatoes are still warm (not scorching hot), stir in the butter and cream, plus the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, until evenly combined. Spread the mixture out a bit in the bowl, then cool to room temperature and refrigerate until fully chilled and cold to the touch, at least 1 hour.

Note: Some cooks rice first and chill, then add butter and cream later. Either way works. The key is chilling the potato mixture before you bring flour into the party.

Add flour gently. Sprinkle in 1 1/2 cups flour and stir just until a soft dough forms. If it is sticky, add more flour 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. Stop as soon as it feels workable. Overmixing and overflouring are the fast track to tough lefse.

Keep it cold. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (overnight is great). As you work, keep the remaining dough covered and chilled. Warm dough is harder to roll and more likely to stick.

Heat the griddle. Preheat a griddle or large skillet to medium-high. You want a hot surface that gives you brown freckles and a dry-looking surface in about a minute per side, but go by the cues more than the clock. Adjust the heat as you go.

Portion and roll. Divide dough into about 10 to 14 pieces (about 60 to 75 grams each for 12-inch rounds, if you like consistency). Keep pieces covered with a towel and refrigerate the ones you are not rolling yet. On a lightly floured surface (or pastry cloth), roll one piece into a very thin round, about 10 to 12 inches wide and roughly 1/16-inch thick. Use as little bench flour as you can get away with, and dust off excess flour with your hand so it does not burn on the griddle.

Transfer tips: A wide spatula works great. If you have a pastry cloth, roll directly on it, then peel the round up and lay it on the griddle. A lefse stick is also traditional and handy for moving thin rounds without tearing.

Cook. Carefully lay the round on the hot griddle. Cook until brown freckles appear and the surface looks set and dry, often around 45 to 90 seconds depending on your heat. Flip and cook until the second side has a few freckles too, often another 30 to 60 seconds. It should stay soft and flexible.

If flour starts building up: Carefully wipe the griddle with a dry paper towel between rounds (watch your fingers) so you do not end up with bitter, burnt flour.

Stack and keep warm. Transfer cooked lefse to a plate and cover with a clean towel. Stack rounds as you cook to keep them soft. Repeat with remaining dough.

Serve. Spread with softened butter, sprinkle with sugar (and cinnamon if you want), then fold or roll. For savory, go butter and salt, or use it like a wrap.