Milk Bar Volcanoes

Now: here are arguably some of the BEST foods in the planet: Volcanoes!

Now, you may be asking what a volcano is in food. It's basically a giant dinner roll stuffed with caramelized onions and scalloped potatoes then topped with cheese. Yum!

The recipe came from the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook and the minute I found the recipe, I knew I HAD to try them.

Adapted from “Momofuku Milk Bar”

Volcanoes

Makes 4

For the dough:

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

1/4 packet yeast

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water at room temperature

grapeseed oil (Or basically any neutral oil)

Note: in the cookbook, the volcanoes only call for half a recipe for the "Mother Dough", so I gave you guys half the recipe for the dough. The dough recipe in the cookbook is double the ingredients.

For the onions:

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or any neutral oil)

2 medium spanish onions, halved and thinly sliced

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the potatoes:

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup milk

1/2 bay leaf

1/4 sprig rosemary

1/2 teaspoon salt

pinch of black pepper

3 ounces pancetta or wide ruled bacon

2 (Russet) baking potatoes

Assembly: 

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon water

1 cup shredded gruyere cheese 

Note: When I say wide ruled bacon what I really mean is thick sliced so if ya don't like it deal with it. Oh, and if you use bacon, pop it ion the freezer for a couple minutes so it cuts up easier! (Unlike how I did and didn't find out about the freezer trick till it was to late)

First, make the dough

By hand, stir together the flour, yeast, and salt in your stand mixer bowl with the dough hook kinda like a whisk. Counting stirring by hand as you add the water and mix for one more minute. 

Then, engage the bowl and hook and turn the mixer on the lowest speed for 3 minutes or until the dough is smoother and more cohesive. Continue kneading on the lowest speed for 4 more minutes. The dough should be a wet ball and softly bounce back when prodded. 

Brush a large bowl with grapeseed oil and dump in the dough. cover with plastic wrap and proof at room temperature for 45 minutes. 

While the dough rests, make the caramelized onions

In a large frying pan, heat the oil on medium low heat and add the onions and salt and let it just sit there for a few minutes. But DO NOT leave the onions unattended. They could burn. So keep a close eye on them and stir them with a wooden spoon every couple minutes. They will soften and darken. And it will take a long time. It has never taken me less than 40 minutes. So be patient. It will be more than worth it in the end. They have a very rich and sweet flavor. It is amazing. Once caramelized, let them cool in a small bowl in the fridge.

While the onions cool, make the scalloped potatoes.

Chop the bacon or Pancetta into tiny pieces and cook them in a frying pan until cooked. Remove the bacon bits from the pan onto a plate lined with a paper towel and set aside. Then wash, peel and thinly slice the potatoes, about 1/8 inch thick. Submerge them into a large bowl filled with cold water. 

Meanwhile, heat the milk, cream, garlic, bay leaf, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small saucepan. Just let it start to simmer, then turn off the heat and let that steep for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 350°F and line a 6 inch square baking pan and layer it with the sliced potatoes and bacon bits like shingles. Keep layering until you are out of potatoes and bacon. 

Fish out the rosemary, garlic, and bay leaf and pour the milk mixture over the potatoes. Bake for 45 minutes or until the potatoes have a "milky translucence" but have not turned into chips. (believe me, they can and will) Let them cool a bit. Then place in the fridge for about 2-3 hours. 

Once all the onions and potatoes are cooled, Heat the oven to 375 °F.

Take the dough and put it on a large, floured cutting board. Sprinkle a little flour evenly over the dough. Evenly cut it into 4 pieces and punch shape them into 6 inch rounds. 

Evenly divide the onions into the middle of each round. Then, evenly divide the potatoes above the onions onto each dough round. 

Take the edges of dough and  pinch it together to seal it. Gently roll the dough ball between you palms, then, place each one on a parchment lined baking sheet, then cut an x-shaped slit on to of each one and evenly divide the cheese and stuff it into the slit. 

In a small bowl, whisk the egg and water together and brush the mixture on top of each volcano.

Bake the volcanoes for 25 minutes or until golden brown, and the cheese has caramelized. They are best served fresh out of the oven. But, let them cool for about 10-15 minutes. They will also keep in the fridge for 3 days and when you serve them, warm them up in the oven a bit. 

Enjoy!