The popular Wildflour Bakery in Joseph, which closed a couple of years ago, was reborn this summer when two former customers missed it so much they decided to go into the bakery business.

Pop and Barb McCommon purchased the old bakery’s equipment, took baking lessons and acquired recipes from former owners Jim and Peg Nave, and reopened the enterprise in the Joseph Square mall at the beginning of the summer.

The McCommons retired from education jobs in Alaska, moved to Joseph about five years ago, and had each been working at several jobs. Barb did respite care for seniors, worked for Eastern Oregon Support Services and was a substitute special ed pre-school teacher, while Pop worked at the Wallowa Mountains Visitor Center and did some tutoring.

They had just been approved for a home improvement loan, but, insteade, decided to invest in reviving their favorite bakery. “We wanted to reduce the number of our jobs and had gone into withdrawal for fresh bread,” Pop McCommon explained.

Apparently, many people felt the same way, and the bakery enjoyed a busy summer in its new location under the new owners.

“We’ve had a lot of good local support,” McCommon said. “People come in and say they are so glad we are here.”

During the summer there were also many out-of-county customers, including a group of Europeans staying at the lake, who said the business reminded them of home.

“We’re a European-style bakery, not a donut bakery,” McCommon said. All the bread is shaped by hand and sold fresh. There is a discount day-old shelf, but after one day, all the products are donated to local meal programs.

In addition to a variety of fresh bread and dinner rolls, the bakery offers such fare as muffins, cinnamon rolls, cookies, brownies and lunch rolls (vegetarian or ham and cheese). Cakes and pies are sometimes on the menu, but they are made and supplied by other local people.

In addition to walk-in customers, the bakery also does special orders “all the time,” according to McCommon, who is staffing the business by himself these days. About six weeks ago Barb went to Alaska to help with a family emergency, and will remain in Alaska for the foreseeable future.

Previously, McCommon made bread, but his wife was in charge of much of the other baking. “I burned my first four trays of cookies,” he recalled. “There’s not near as much smoke coming out of here now.”

The baker is proud of the fact that most of the bakery’s products are made with organic flour and other ingredients, and, for the most part, honey and molasses instead of sugar. “We use honey from Wallowa County bees,” McCommon said, holding up a container of Wallowa Gold Honey.

While there are no gluten-free baked goods made on the premises, gluten-free mixes, pasta, salad dressings and other products are sold in the bakery.

While the bakery is small, there are a few tables inside where customers drink coffee or tea and munch on goodies.

Right now, Wildflour is busy taking special orders for the holiday season (call 432-7225).

While the bakery was open every day during the summer, its winter hours are 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. five days a week (closed Wednesday and Sunday).

“I didn’t ever plan on being a baker, but I’m finding it very satisfying. It’s a creative process, and I like providing a good product for the county,” McCommon said. “Every town needs a bakery.”