Challah & Babka are two of the greatest gifts of traditional Jewish baking, and they share a remarkable secret: they use the same dough! It’s like the best 2-for-1 deal ever! Join Alissa Kondogiannis for this fun, hands-on cooking class that will teach you the easy, foolproof techniques to create perfect challahs and babkas at home.

Challah — a golden, egg-enriched bread that is often braided, and typically eaten on ceremonial occasions such as Shabbat or Jewish holidays — has adorned tables since biblical days. Ideal for French toast and bread pudding, challah is also the perfect bread with dips like hummus, to mop up soups and stews or just to eat hot and tender, straight out of the oven.

Babka is a sweet, twisted, yeast-dough bread with Eastern European roots. Typically served as a dessert and the perfect accompaniment to coffee, babka has transcended its humble roots and become a trendy staple in gourmet bakeries around the world. Classic babka is either chocolate or cinnamon-filled but can be made using any filling you can imagine, savoury or sweet.

In this class, participants will learn how to make the quick, simple, and forgiving yeasted dough that can be turned into either Challah or Babka. Each participant will have the option to make and braid their own challah or how to shape, fold and glaze the babka to give it its signature marbled swirls and gleaming finish.

There will be plenty of oven-fresh challah to taste, and just-baked chocolate babka to share in class. Each participant goes home with their own whole unbaked challah or babka to bake at home.

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Alissa Kondogiannis has been eating challah her whole life but it was only after a travelling experience that she really got on the path of challah making. Her aim is to introduce everyone to the joys of bread making and and show that people don’t have to be intimidated by yeasted doughs. For the past several years she has facilitated challah making classes and has a small catering business of her own. @barnstarkitchen