Swiss Plaited Loaf

People in Switzerland, southern Germany and Austria have a tremendous tradition of fancy baking, for feast days, holidays, or just for Sundays. This plaited bread, ideal for butter and jam for tea or breakfast, but good as well for luxury sandwiches (it contains no sugar), is what the Swiss family likes to eat on a Sunday: home-baked because it is the baker’s day off.

There is a symbol behind the plait: it represents the braid of the warrior’s widow, cut off before joining him in th