Anne Grunert, a Hanska Community Library board member, led the hands-on workshop that drew participants ranging from curious first-timers to experienced bakers eager to share their family techniques. 

All ingredients for the event were donated by Grunert as a gift to the community.

“This is my way to pay back to the community for everything they did for my parents,” said Grunert, who promised her late mother she would keep the lefse-making tradition alive with her grandchildren. 

“The community was so good to my parents growing up, and I always wanted to give back,” she said.

Fourth-grader Hayden Christianson rolls dough into uniform balls during Hanska’s second annual “Learn to Make Lefse” event. Christianson, who discovered a love for cooking at last year’s workshop, returned with renewed enthusiasm — even asking for lefse-making tools for Christmas.

The event, organized by the Friends of the Hanska Library and hosted at the community center’s lower level, slightly surpassed last year’s inaugural gathering of 27 participants.

Grunert demonstrated the meticulous process of creating the delicate Norwegian potato flatbread, starting with a mixture of mashed potatoes, flour, butter, lard, cream, salt and sugar. 

Participants learned to weigh the dough into uniform portions, roll paper-thin rounds using specialized grooved rolling pins, and cook them to golden perfection on 500-degree griddles.

“There are as many recipes as there are lefse makers,” Annette Haynes said, a longtime lefse baker who learned the craft from her grandmother. “Everybody does it a little different and tweaks things.”

Haynes shared the cultural significance of lefse, explaining that in Norway, two main varieties exist: plain lefse made with flour, and potato lefse, which became popular after potatoes were introduced to the region roughly 300 years ago. 

Hanska Library board members Anne Grunert and Angela Pick stand with fourth-grader Hayden Christianson during the town’s lefse-making workshop. The annual event celebrates Norwegian heritage through hands-on tradition, drawing participants of all ages to roll, cook, and connect.

Norwegian immigrants brought their regional variations to Minnesota, with some families making plain lefse and others preferring the potato version. The event emphasized the multi-generational nature of lefse-making, a tradition typically passed down through families. 

Fourth-grader Hayden Christianson returned for his second year, having discovered a passion for the craft at last year’s event.

“He came last year and it just piqued his interest,” said Angela Pick, another library board member who helped organize the event. 

“He never really found his niche in sports or other activities, but cooking really spoke to him. He even asked for lefse-making equipment for Christmas.”

Participants worked at multiple stations throughout the community center, using rolling boards, griddles and century-old turning sticks borrowed from community members. 

Participants enjoy freshly made lefse throughout the morning during Hanska’s heritage workshop. With spreads, lemonade, and plenty of conversation, the traditional flatbread was shared as it came off the griddles — warm, delicate, and made with care.

⁸One particularly treasured tool was a turning stick more than 100 years old, passed down through Grunert’s family.

The delicate flatbread can be enjoyed multiple ways — spread with butter and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar for dessert, or filled with savory ingredients like turkey, corn and mashed potatoes for what some families call a “Norwegian taco.”

“When you make lefse for your family, it really is a labor of love,” Haynes said, noting the time-intensive process of peeling and ricing russet potatoes, mixing dough, rolling paper-thin rounds and carefully monitoring each piece on the griddle.

The success of the lefse workshop builds momentum for Hanska’s upcoming 125th anniversary celebration planned for late August. 

The town, founded in 1901 when Norwegian pioneers settled in the area along with the arrival of the railroad, will mark the milestone with festivities including a parade, live music, fireworks and a tribute to traditional “Syttende Mai” celebrations.

“We’re planning something really special for the anniversary,” Grunert said. “It’s about preserving our history and bringing the community together.”

Organizers say the annual lefse event will continue to grow, with plans already underway for next year’s gathering.

“This is about keeping our heritage alive and connecting us to our grandparents and great-grandparents,” Pick said. “Lefse is more than just food here — it’s about community.”