It appears, considering the row of bright-colored boxes of panettone stacked on holiday-season displays, that the sweet Christmas bread that originated in Italy doesn’t literally have a shelf-life, but by the time the holidays are over, most consumers have had enough panettone to last them until next December. Not at Settepani Bakery in Brooklyn, which celebrates panettone year-round in imaginative ways. Here, owner Nino Settepani tells us why they do it, and what we found is a story of love and family.

We started making panettone in 1982 (when the bakery opened). At the time, my brother and I co-owned Bruno Bakery in the heart of the West Village, and we were making it for the holidays. In 1998, with the growth of our prospective families, my brother and I separated, and then Settepani Bakery was born.