How can a soft flat bread cooked up from potatoes, flour, butter and cream become a universal foodstuff for offspring of Norwegian immigrants?  "In America," writes Kathleen Stokker, "the mingling of traditions from different parts of Norway together with the passage of time has resulted in a generalized practice probably unlike any single tradition originally brought from the Old Country."

This happened, we think, partly because lefse is just plain wonderful. But it's also true that lefse is more than the scientific blending of ingredients. It's an art form that requires a few special tools and a preparation that defies simple description. If one "thinks" Norwegian when eating lefse, many say they "feel" Norwegian when making the stuff.

Explaining why Minnesotans eat so much lefse, Sylvia Paine wrote in "Land of Lefse" in 1988: "Our hurried, harried lives lack continuity. Eating lefse restores some sense of tradition." Obviously lefse isn't just food, it's edible legend. There's even an American Lefse Hall of Fame (in Nevada, of all places).

Nowadays you can buy lefse from several specialized bakeries, but there's nothing like the enjoyment of fresh homemade lefse slathered with butter and sprinkled liberally with sugar. That indeed is the genuine article one writer has described as "perfectly round, a delicate and translucent potato doily."

Our lefse recipe is at least a century old, brought to America by our maternal grandparents from the Stavanger area of western Norway. We're now into four generations of lefse-making on this side of the Atlantic. Always for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but also when the Great Lefse Urge strikes.

We stick to ingredients true to the family original—real potatoes, real butter, real cream. In other words, real lefse. Follow our lefse recipe and you too can share a special Norwegian treat with your family.

[1] Peeled method. Peel and cube the potatoes. Place potato cubes in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Add a teaspoon or two of salt. Reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes (russet potatoes cook faster than red ones). Remove pot from heat and drain the cooking water (save the water—it makes excellent soup stock).

[2] In-the-skin method. Scrub skins, then place potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to boil. Boil gently until a sharp knife easily penetrates a potato, about 20-25 minutes (russet potatoes cook faster than red ones). Remove pot from heat, drain cooking water, and let potatoes cool enough to handle. Remove and discard peels.

Rice the Potatoes: While potatoes are still warm, use a ricer to mash them completely. Rice the potatoes in batches into a large pot or bowl. Then rice the potatoes a second time using a ricing disk with the smallest openings.

Add Butter and Cream: Add the cream, melted butter, sugar and salt to the riced (mashed) potatoes and mix thoroughly. (Some lefse-makers prefer vegetable oil rather than butter; use oil if you wish, but butter is more true to Stavanger-style lefse).

Refrigerate the Dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate overnight or NOT LESS THAN 10 to 12 hours. Take this commandment on faith.