Norwegian Flatbread

Flatbread or flatbrød, its Norwegian name, is thin, crispy, cracker-like bread best topped with a thick layer of butter.

Flatbread or flatbrød, its Norwegian name, is a treat I enjoyed around the holidays at my grandma Hilma’s house. I don’t remember her actually making it although she probably did at one time in her large Norwegian family. My memory is that flatbread would arrive at her house just in time for our holiday get-togethers packaged in a large ice cream pail, delivered by the same woman who supplied my grandma with fresh, homemade lefse.

The thin, crispy, cracker-like bread wasn’t like all the other cookies, bars and sweet breads we loved to eat at my grandma’s, but it was something that we had only once a year in limited supply so that made it all the more special. At first glance, it may look like a dry, dusty cracker. But top it with a thick layer of butter and it’s the perfect accompaniment for your morning coffee or afternoon tea. Or, as I prefer to eat it…throughout the day whenever I walk by the Ziploc bag of flatbread that sits on my counter next to the butter dish during the holidays.

These days, I get my annual stash of flatbread courtesy of my mother-in-law Mary Lou who loves it as much as I do and grew up eating it as well. Her recipe has a hint of sweetness because it includes some maple syrup baked in. I love her version so much that I asked her to share her recipe with me.

Where did the recipe come from?

Mary Lou’s own mother Charlotte used to make flatbread. While it was common for her to make it during holidays, she’d also make it other times of the year per the request of Mary Lou’s Norwegian father who often ate it with some butter and a thin slice of cheese.

Turns out flatbread was staple dish in Norway among farmers and peasants who’d enjoy it with soups, fish and meats. Since it is dry and free from water, it keeps very well and can be stored for long periods of time.

Today, many families with Norwegian heritage continue the tradition of flatbread. Mary Lou says “there as many recipes for flatbread as there are people making it,” but she prefers to use a method using a lefse griddle and other lefse-making equipment as that is the way she learned to do it from a class she took many years ago.

Mary Lou’s Tips:

• While you could roll out the flatbread on a counter and bake it in an oven, Mary Lou likes to use her lefse tools including a corrugated rolling pin and sleeve/cover, a pastry board with pastry cloth, a lefse grill and a turning stick.
• After rolling a piece of the flatbread dough into a thin piece, she places it on the lefse grill to brown on both sides before placing it on a cookie sheet to go into the oven (at a very low temperature) to crisp up—sometimes for two hours or more.
• Mary Lou’s recipe includes the addition of maple syrup which is a nice touch, adding in a touch of sweetness.

Confession: I haven’t made flatbread on my own yet. I haven’t had to as Mary Lou is so gracious to share her own flatbread with me. But I am happy to have the recipe in hand and look forward to giving it a try soon so I share it with others and keep the tradition going!