Leaf Bread (Laufabrauð) — Crisp Icelandic Christmas Flatbread

• 500 gall-purpose flour
• 2 tspbaking powder
• 1.25 tspfine sea salt
• 1 tspgranulated sugar
• 300 mlwhole milk
• 45 gunsalted butter
• 1.5 lneutral rapeseed oil (nutrition estimate assumes about 120 g is absorbed during frying)

Instructions

1. 1

   Whisk 500 g flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl until the leavening is evenly dispersed. Warm the milk and butter in a small saucepan to 45 C, stirring until the butter melts, then remove it from the heat before the milk simmers.

2. 2

   Pour the warm milk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until a firm dough forms. Knead on the counter for 4 minutes, using no more than 15 g of the measured dusting flour at this stage, until the dough is smooth but still slightly tight.

3. 3

   Divide the dough into 24 equal portions of about 36 g each and shape them into small balls. Cover them with a clean kitchen towel and rest for 20 minutes so the gluten relaxes and the rounds can be rolled very thin.

4. 4

   Dust the counter lightly from the measured 50 g rolling flour and roll one dough ball into a circle 18 to 20 cm wide and about 1 mm thick. Keep the remaining dough covered at all times because dry edges crack when the laufabrauð is cut and fried.

5. 5

   Cut traditional leaf patterns into the round with a laufabrauð iron, a sharp paring knife, or a small pastry wheel. Lift every other slit carefully with the knife tip and fold it back to create the woven leaf effect, then place the finished round on parchment while you shape the rest.

6. 6

   Heat the rapeseed oil in a wide heavy pot to 180 C, using a thermometer to keep the temperature steady. Fry one bread at a time for 8 to 12 seconds per side, turning once, until pale golden with small blistered spots rather than dark brown patches.

7. 7

   Lift each bread out with a slotted spoon and drain it on a rack set over a tray for 2 minutes. While still warm, press it gently between two clean trays or baking sheets for 20 seconds so it cools flat and crisp.

8. 8

   Cool the breads completely before stacking, because trapped steam will soften the crisp texture. Serve laufabrauð with hangikjöt and rúgbrauð; if your Icelandic Christmas baking day also includes kleinur, fry the leaf bread first so its delicate flavor stays clean.