Damian Sansonetti has baked and eaten Easter bread all his life, but when it comes to braiding the dough for the holiday treat, he has to call over his wife and business partner, llma Lopez.“Your left…up…across…” she coaches him. As the mother of a 3-year-old girl, she’s had a lot more practice with braiding. 

“This guy’s going over, and this guy’s going under, right?” Sansonetti mutters in reply as he braids three logs of bread dough back and forth, over and under. After the braiding and one more proofing, what will emerge from the oven is a beautifully browned bread that looks deceptively simple. But cut a slice and chew the fine crumb, and it’s more complex than it appears.