History

Norwegian and Swedish immigration to Minnesota peaked between 1880 and 1920; by 1900 Minneapolis-Saint Paul held the largest Norwegian-American population outside Oslo. The lefse and krumkake tradition came with them. Ingebretsen's Nordic Marketplace opened on East Lake Street in 1921 as a Norwegian meat shop and has run the city's defining Scandinavian bakery counter ever since. The store still sells lefse rolling pins, krumkake irons and the cardamom-scented sandbakkelse tins for home baking. Saint Olaf College in Northfield runs an annual Christmas Lutefisk and Lefse Dinner.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Eggs

Make it at home

Yield 12Hands-on 60 minTotal 2 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt
  • 1 to 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
  • Salted butter and white sugar to fill

Method

  1. Boil potatoes until very soft, about 20 minutes. Drain thoroughly; let dry-steam 5 minutes.
  2. Pass through a ricer into a bowl. Add cream, butter, sugar and salt. Mix and cool completely (1 hour or overnight in fridge).
  3. Work in flour gradually until the dough just holds together without sticking. Do not overwork.
  4. Divide into 12 balls. On a heavily floured surface, roll each to a 10-inch round thin enough to see through.
  5. Heat a dry griddle to 450F. Cook each round 60 seconds per side, until brown freckles appear.
  6. Stack between damp towels. Spread with butter, dust with sugar, fold in quarters or roll. Serve with coffee.

Tip from the editors. Use a grooved lefse rolling pin if you have one; the surface keeps the dough thin without sticking, and you can buy one at Ingebretsen's on Lake Street.

Where to eat lefse and krumkake

Lefse and krumkake in Minneapolis

Ingebretsen's Nordic Marketplace ★ 4.6

$ BakeryScandinavian baked goodsLongfellow PowderhornWalk-in only

Ingebretsen's on East Lake Street has cured Scandinavian deli items in Minneapolis since 1921. Located in Longfellow Powderhorn. Open mon-sat 09:00-17:30.

Worth the queueLefse

Directions

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