'Butter Is My Thing': At Junda's Pastry Crust and Crumbs, Baking Is A Family Tradition
JAMESPORT, NY (CBSNewYork) - A baker's dream began with a pie stand on the side of the road.
"I had a vision of what I really wanted to do with my life when I was a very, very young child," Christopher Junda said. "I always said to myself, 'I'm going to run a bakery of my own.'"
Today, he's doing just that.
The roadside stall has grown into Junda's Pastry Crust and Crumbs, a bakery set in a 18th-century farmhouse on Long Island's North Fork.
MORE FROM THE DIG: Fans Flock To Flanders To See The Big Duck
At Junda's, everything is homemade, from the raspberry-cheese strudel to the apple cider doughnut to the German chocolate Danish.
"Butter is my thing," Junda said.
Junda is a formally trained baker with a background in high-end restaurants and hotels. He bakes with exactitude, unlike the women in his family who first taught him to bake—eyeballing was their preferred method.
"No measuring whatsoever," he said.
MORE FROM THE DIG: Lexington Candy Shop: A NYC Luncheonette Where Time Stands Still
He honors his Polish heritage with items like chruściki, a bow tie-shaped pastry dusted with powdered sugar. Many of his recipes are handed down from his late grandmother, whose old apron sits on a shelf in her memory.
Each day, Junda looks to honor the aunts and grandmothers who encouraged him to pursue his dream.
"It's just really the traditions from their generation and just carrying it on," he said.
MORE FROM THE DIG: Lexington Candy Shop: A NYC Luncheonette Where Time Stands Still
Junda appreciates that his baking allows him to become part of other families' traditions. He makes wedding cakes for couples and then birthday cakes for their children.
"I'm happy that it's touching someone in some way," he said.
When first-time customers arrive, he always has the same reaction: "You'll be back."
Junda's Pastry Crust and Crumbs
1612 Main Road
Jamesport, NY 11947
(631) 722-4999
What's something few people know about but everybody should? Whatever it is, Elle McLogan is tracking it down on The Dig. Join her hunt for treasures hidden across our area. Follow Elle on Twitter and Instagram.
