Dave Knight is organizing his new kitchen in what will be “The Village Baker” in downtown Muncy. Knight teaches at PCT and runs the Keystone Dining Room at the school and, after the business is up and running, to have a “Science Corner” to learn about food. The bakery will have a wide variety of sweet rolls, brownies and a lot of European style cakes. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

MUNCY — The Village Baker, 21 S. Main St., is bringing a taste of Europe to downtown. The bakery will offer European-style pastries and baked goods made with locally sourced ingredients.

It will have a soft opening on Aug. 2, with a grand opening celebration on Aug. 16 from noon to 4 p.m.

Owners David and Angie Knight are passionate about offering fresh cookies, croissants, cakes and more to the community. There is a standard menu and rotating seasonal specials.

The menu reflects Chef David Knight’s ability to balance classic European techniques with personal creativity to bake one-of-a-kind confections.

“You’re only limited by your imagination,” he said.

When baking, he emphasizes flavor and freshness. Everything is baked fresh to offer a high-quality product. To enhance the taste, he uses produce that is at peak ripeness.

“I don’t want to load my desserts with sugar to be sweet. I want the flavor to stand out,” he said. “That’s really what I push for when I cook, whether it’s savory or sweet.”

An aspect of his cakes that could be unique to customers is the use of Swiss buttercream instead of the traditional American version. The Swiss recipe includes butter, sugar and egg whites.

Angie Knight said it’s a balanced and light flavor that is not too sweet.

The business focus is not just the baked goods, she said. It’s about creating a new place for community members to gather. The bakery has comfortable seating, free Wi-Fi and will showcase local artists’ work.

“We want people to come, stay, eat and enjoy,” she said.

The Knights moved east from Colorado, where they had their first bakery. A family member has lived locally for decades, which inspired them to settle down in Muncy.

“We loved the area and wanted to raise our kids here,” said Angie Knight. “We wanted to give them a life where they can ride their bikes to friends’ houses and be part of a community.”

Back in Colorado, they had strong connections with farmers from whom they purchased dairy, eggs and produce. They aim to continue this practice here with The Village Baker and as a part of the farm-to-table movement.

David Knight has 38 years of experience cooking across the country. He also taught for seven years at the Art Institute of Colorado.

He has refined his skills through decades of learning food science and techniques that elevate each dish he creates. With that, he enjoys cooking up dishes that have a twist to them like turning something that is traditionally savory into something sweet.

He filmed a cooking show for EatThisTV in 2022. He showcased unique dishes like a curry apricot carrot cake and blackberry basil goat cheese pizza with pine nuts.

The couple have big dreams for the future of the bakery. They plan to host special events and accept custom orders.

For more information, visit The Village Baker on Facebook. Bakery hours are Wednesdays through Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays.