Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large pot, combine potatoes, water, bay leaves, old bay, vinegar, and salt. Mix well and turn the heat on high. (Yes, you will add the potatoes to cold water and then bring to a boil so the potatoes cook evenly). Bring the water to a rapid boil and cook for 7 minutes. (Keep an eye out and don’t overcook the potatoes.) Once 7 minutes is up, a knife should easily slide into the potato.

Strain the potatoes and let cool so you can easily handle. Add to the parchment lined baking sheet. Using the bottom of a sturdy glass or a measuring cup (or something similar), gently press down and smash the potatoes. It's ok if little tid-bits fall off, they will get crispy and be delicious.

For the glaze, add the olive oil, mustard, paprika, cayenne, additional Old Bay, onion powder, garlic powder and nutritional yeast to a bowl and whisk together until a thick paste forms. Using a spoon, evenly disperse the glaze over the warm smashed potatoes. Next, gently use your fingers to further press the glaze around to evenly coat the potatoes, moving some to the bottom. This doesn't have to be incredibly thorough. When in the oven, the glaze will melt and dribble down and around.

Pop them babies in a hot oven for 15 minutes. After that, carefully flip using a thin spatula. Place back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven to add the final touches: if you are a garlic-addict like me, now is the time you will sprinkle an even amount of the garlic over each potato (or skip this step if you don't want it!). Drizzle the garlic with a touch of olive oil. Then crack a hefty amount of black pepper and a generous sprinkling of flaky salt over top. Bake for a final 8 minutes or until the garlic is just starting to turn golden. Do not burn the garlic or it will be bitter and you will have a meltdown.

For the dipping sauce, in a small bowl, mix together the mayo, lemon zest + juice, salt, and thyme. (You can drizzle this over the potatoes if serving immediately.) Transfer the potatoes to a serving dish and sprinkle with the chives. Serve with dipping sauce.