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Laufabrauð
Carved fried leaf bread
Laufabrauð: Icelandic leaf bread carved with patterns and fried crisp
Laufabrauð, 'leaf bread', is made by Icelandic families together in early December: paper-thin rounds of dough are carved into lacy geometric patterns with a small knife or a brass cutting wheel, then fried in seconds until crisp and golden. Each family has its own patterns, and the breads are eaten at Christmas with butter and smoked lamb. It is a tradition from northern Iceland around Akureyri, where flour was scarce. A common mistake is rolling the dough too thick; it should be so thin you can read through it. Chef's tip: make a fold, cut little V-shapes along it with a knife, and fold every other point back, which gives the classic leaf pattern.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flour
- 1 ¼ cups hot milk
- 1 oz butter
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
For frying
- 4 ¼ cups sunflower oil
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Melt 1 oz butter in 1 ¼ cups hot milk. Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp baking powder and ½ tsp salt, pour in the hot milk and knead into a smooth dough. Cover and rest 20 minutes.
Step 2: Divide into 20. Roll each paper-thin into an 18 cm round, using a plate as a guide. Common mistake: thick dough; it won't crisp.
Step 3: Fold each round lightly in half, cut rows of small V-shapes along the fold, then open and fold back every other point to make a pattern. Prick with a fork.
Step 4: Heat 4 ¼ cups sunflower oil to 350°F. Fry each round for 10–15 seconds per side, until golden and crisp.
20 minStep 5: Press flat on kitchen paper with a board while still hot. Store in a tin.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does laufabrauð take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of hot milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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