Based on the challah recipe from “Joy of Kosher: Fast, Fresh Family Recipes.”

Ingredients for challah dough:

2 ounces active dry yeast + 3 tablespoons sugar

6 cups warm water, divided

4 tablespoons kosher salt

1 (6-pound) bag high-gluten flour

2 cups sugar

4 egg yolks

1 1/4 cups canola oil, divided

2 whole eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup poppy seeds

Directions to make challah dough:

1. In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and 3 tablespoons of sugar in 2 cups of warm

water, cover loosely with a towel and set aside.

2. Place salt in a huge plastic bowl.

3. Add flour to bowl.

4. Add sugar and egg yolks.

5. Yeast should now have bubbled/foamed and doubled in size, if yeast has not bubbled or does not seem active repeat the process again.

6. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and slowly pour yeast and sugar water mixture into the well. Then add the remaining 4 cups of warm water into the well. Make sure the water is not too hot. It should be no warmer than you would use for a baby’s bath.

7. Start kneading ingredients together and add a 1/2 cup of oil.

8. For the next 10 minutes, knead, adding another 1/2 cup of oil slowly during that time as needed to create a workable dough. Dough shouldn’t be too sticky and also should not be dry. It should become one cohesive mass.

9. Loosely cover dough with a large kitchen towel and place in a warm spot in your kitchen for 15 minutes.

10. After 15 minutes, lightly oil your hand and knead again for another 5 minutes adding a touch more oil to the dough if necessary. The dough should now be easier to work with and will become smooth and satiny.

11. Rub a little oil over the top and around the dough. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel. Place covered bowl in a medium plastic garbage bag and place open ends of the bag loosely underneath the bowl, trapping in air.

12. Place in a warm spot and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

13. Punch dough down and knead (lightly oil your hands if necessary), flipping it and releasing any air bubbles. Cover again, using the towel and the bag, and let rise 1 more hour.

Directions for the Hamantaschen:

Fillings of choice: pesto, sundried tomato dip, or olive dip.

1. Roll out desired size of dough into a rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into a diamond shape.

2. Cut out a small triangle from the center of one of the halves of the diamond.

3. Place filling directly opposite the triangle, on the other half of the dough.

4. Fold over to form a triangle/hamantaschen shape, and seal edges.

5. Brush with egg wash.

6. Bake until golden.