Midwestern Potato Lefse (Norwegian-American Potato Flatbread)

Instructions

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1. 1 In a large pot, place potatoes and enough cold water to cover by about 1 inch. Add a generous pinch of salt, bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, and cook until fully tender, 12 to 15 minutes from the start of the boil. Drain well, then return potatoes to pot and heat over low heat, stirring to drive off surface moisture, until dried out, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. 2 With a potato ricer, rice the hot potatoes into a large bowl. You should end up with about 25 ounces (750 g) of riced potato. Stir in butter until melted, then add cream, salt, and sugar and mix until smooth. Refrigerate uncovered until cold and firm, at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
3. 3 When ready to roll, remove cold potato mixture from refrigerator and break it up with your hands into small pieces. Sprinkle flour evenly over the top and mix by hand until a soft, cohesive dough forms, about 1 minute. The dough should feel cool, pliable, and slightly tacky but not sticky.
4. 4 Divide dough into 12 equal pieces, roughly 80 g each, and press each into a disc. Lightly flour both sides and keep covered with a towel so they don't dry out.
5. 5 Lay out a clean pastry cloth or kitchen towel and flour it lightly but evenly. Using a rolling pin, flatten one disc on the towel until it's between 3 to 4 inches wide, then lightly dust both sides with flour. Starting from the center, roll outward with short, light strokes, turning and flipping the dough frequently to prevent it from sticking to the cloth. Do not be stingy with extra flour—use what you need. Continue until the lefse is about 10 inches across and close to translucent. (If you have a cloth with words or images on it, that helps: Roll until you can clearly read or see what's on the cloth.)
6. 6 Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 1 teaspoon of oil until oil is shimmering. Use paper towels to careful wipe skillet dry. Very carefully lift the lefse from the cloth and lower it into skillet. Cook until the dough bubbles and brown freckles appear on the bottom side, about 1 minute. Flip carefully and cook 30 to 45 seconds longer. Remove the lefse from the skillet and place it on a plate.
7. 7 Repeat with the remaining lefse, leaving skillet off the heat and reheating when ready to cook each one; make sure to continue alternating rolling and cooking, stacking them on the plate as you go. Adjust the heat under the skillet as necessary to ensure that the lefse don't burn.
8. 8 Enjoy right away or cool lefse completely, then wrap tightly in plastic or seal in a bag. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for 6 months.