Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky

Olive-oil expert Maia Hirschbein’s mother used to use low-quality olive oil in her cooking, but when she switched to the high-quality stuff, her challah and other dishes were transformed. Thinkstock

½ cup warm water
1 package or 1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
½ cup warm water
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 eggs
A little less than 2⁄3 cup sugar
4 cups flour (or as much as needed to make dough)

1) Place warm water in warm bowl and sprinkle in yeast and sugar. Let stand a few minutes. Then add remaining ingredients.

2) Stir together and knead for about 5 minutes. Knead with love. Place in bowl cover and place in warm spot 3 to 4 hours.

3) Punch down dough. Divide and braid. Place on greased cookie sheet Brush with egg and sesame seeds if desired. Let stand 30 minutes.

4) Bake at 325˚F for 30 minutes. For holidays add raisins.

This article first appeared on J. Weekly. Alix Wall is a personal chef in the East Bay and beyond. You can find her website at The Organic Epicure.

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