Million Dollar Grilled Cheese
Today I am cooking a million dollar grilled cheese sandwich. It’s not actually a million dollars, but it should be because this sandwich is so perfect its value is pretty much priceless. In this video, I am using a Jim Lahey No Knead dough recipe that always delivers with its super bubbly & pastry dough-like texture. I am topping the bread with slow cooked jammy caramelized onions, homemade aioli, fresh mozzarella, and prosciutto.
My Bread Cookbook (affiliate link)
My Pizza Cookbook (affiliate link)
Jim Lahey’s No Knead Dough Recipe
I’ve modified the instructions a little for how I prepare the dough
3⅓ Cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
Generous ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2- 2 cups cool water
Step 1
In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1½ cups-2 cups and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature
Step 2
Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Place dough seam side down on floured surface and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with parchment paper & towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
Step 3
At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Pick up the dough and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is OK. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
Caramelized Onion Recipe
3 Large-sized onions, sliced
4 tablespoons of salted butter
1/3 cup of olive oil (or less)
salt
Step 1
Melt butter and olive oil in large pan on medium heat
Step 2
Add onions and toss in butter & oil
Step 3
Cook on medium/ medium-low heat tossing occasionally- will take about an hour or more to get a really great jammy onion. About 10 minutes before the onions are finished, season with salt- DO NOT RUSH
Aioli Recipe
1 cup grape seed oil
1 room temperature egg
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Step 1
Place all ingredients in a measuring cup/container that is just wide enough to fit an immersion blender
Step 2
Turn the immersion blender on and leave at the bottom of the container until ingredients start to emulsify. Once they start to emulsify, slowly move the immersion blender up and down until the aioli has the consistency of mayo
Spread butter on bread and fry in pan until golden brown & crispy. Add aioli, jammy onions, prosciutto and mozzarella (and/or any other toppings that you’re into) and let your tastebuds have the time of their lives!
