Like many key members of Sons of Norway, my lefse friend Sharon Amann makes things happen for the Synnove Nordkap Lodge #1-008 in St. Paul. She organizes, cooks, speaks, shows up, cleans up, serves on boards and as an officer — you name it. But one thing she does not do, to her dismay, is make round lefse rounds. She texted last Monday that her rounds turn out to be the shape of “Paramecium. I may have at one time or another actually gotten one that is round. Definitely a rarity for me.”
I’ve heard rollers describe the shape of their lefse rounds to be … well, they like to make a geography game of it. “This round is the shape of which state? Texas? Right! And what about this round? Which continent? Right-o, Australia!”
But I have never heard lefse makers say their lefse were the shape of Paramecium. High marks for Sharon!
OK, with lefse making in high gear for the holidays, perhaps we should review how to prevent Paramecium-shaped lefse and end up with good-looking rounds like those below. Here are four tips:
1. No Dough, No Show
Make your dough rich with butter and cream, but specifically, use King Arthur All-Purpose Flour. Bottom line is I will never go back to another flour. Try King Arthur Flour and see how your lefse improves. Mix it into your dough and let the gluten work for a good 10 minutes. Then roll. Your edges will not look like the coast of Norway. They won’t be jagged, and your round won’t fall apart when moving it to the grill. It is never bleached and has a high protein content (gluten) that is carefully calibrated so that you have the same results every time you bake.
2. Make a Good Patty
I am deliberate about making a lefse dough patty that is round — start round, stay round — and that has an edge that is crack-free. If you have a tiny crack at this stage, it’ll be a big crack as you roll your round.
3. Slow Your Roll
I’ve seen too many bangers and squishers in a high production mode who are dead set on getting the job done. They don’t have time to fuss with round rounds. Take your time. I make 125-150 passes per round. Use a light touch and keep an eye on round. With a light touch, when the round goes slightly oblong, fix it before you notice that you are rolling a round the shape of a football.
4. Take Care the First 6-8 Inches
If your round is round after rolling the first 6-8 inches in diameter, there’s a good chance you’ll end up with a round 12-inch round. Start round, stay round, and take your time. Lefse making gives you permission to stop the clock and enjoy.
If All Else Fails …
Some lefse rollers want a round round … but they kinda like being a slapdash roller. They just don’t want to go to all the bother. Here’s the quick way to get round rounds. Roll out your whatever-shaped lefse, and then put a turned-over bowl or a splatter screen (see photo below) on the lefse. Use a pizza cutter to get a round round.
