Laufabrauð

Laufabrauð is a festive bread made from a dough of wheat flour, milk, sugar, salt and butter, rolled out until paper-thin. The dough is cut into circles, and each disc receives hand-cut designs made with a knife or with the laufabrauðsjárn, a brass wheel that cuts a leaf-shaped pattern. The trimmed points are folded and interlaced, and the disc is fried in very hot oil until golden.

According to the National Museum of Iceland, the earliest reference to laufabrauð dates from the early 18th century. During the period of the trade monopoly, grain was hard to obtain, and a very thin bread allowed everyone to have a piece at Christmas. First served in wealthier homes, it reached the general population in the 19th century.

By the late 19th century, laufabrauð was the festive bread of ordinary people especially in the north of the country, where families gathered during Advent to prepare and cut the discs. Sources from the Icelandic community place its origin in the regions of Eyjafjörður and Suður-Þingeyjarsýsla. Only later did the custom spread throughout Iceland.

Cutting laufabrauð continues to be a family gathering before Christmas, with several generations at the table. The discs accompany the Christmas supper, alongside smoked lamb.