hARDANGER LEFSE

Making lefse in a reconstructed historical house in Oslo

Visiting Oslo this week I was treated to a traditional Norwegian sweet flatbread, which dates back to the viking period. The Hardanger lefse is now less well known than the potato lefse, especially in America, which is a much later invention since potatoes weren’t introduced into Norway until the 18th century. Today, most people in Norway only eat Hardanger lefse as a treat at Christmas time.

Rolling the dough, using barley flour to stop it from sticking

Ingredients

• 2 eggs

• 250 grams sugar

• 125 grams melted butter

• 1/2 litre buttermilk

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ca. 1 kilo wheat flour

Method

Mix the eggs with the sugar and butter, and stir into the milk.

Mix the baking powder with some flour and stir into the mixture and roll. (Adding some barley flour makes it easier to roll out) 

Bake the “lefse” on a griddle or in a dry frying pan.

Serve with butter, sugar and cinnamon on top 😋

Enjoying the lefse!

Many thanks to Oslo’s incredible Norske Folkemuseum 

Videos of the making process are on my Instagram: @historyeats

Published 9/07/2019