Baked and rolled with love Baked and rolled with love Baked and rolled with love

Angela Ly, ’26 is no stranger to entrepreneurship. She ran a clothing brand in high school, and her online drops would sell out in minutes. Now, she’s a little over a year into running Rolled Flour, a Seattle-based micro-bakery offering handmade cinnamon rolls baked from scratch. Past flavors have included Biscoff, ube coconut, elote and strawberry cheesecake, and you can enjoy the current seasonal flavors from her residency at Miero Coffee Bar in Chinatown-International District.

I sat down with Ly to discuss why she decided to focus her business solely on cinnamon rolls, how she moved from pop-ups to a residency and where she has found community support.

This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

Tell me more about the origin story of Rolled Flour.

I started Rolled Flour from my apartment leading into summer 2025, and it was a way to explore my creativity. I enjoyed cooking, and baking is in the same vein but more precise. I tested a few different recipes and combined my favorite elements of each. Even though using better ingredients would cost more, it made the rolls taste more handmade. I started by making 30 rolls and offering pick-up from my apartment, and it’s grown from there.

Why did you decide to make cinnamon rolls specifically?

I was considering making cookies and cakes, but those were pretty common, and the main thing you’re doing is mixing the ingredients. With bread, you have to activate the yeast and keep it alive and at a certain temperature. It requires you to be more precise.

I also grew up with a lot of Asian bakeries with milk breads, and I liked that the items were not too sweet. My parents would go to 85°C Bakery Cafe and bring milk breads for breakfast and lunch, so those were always around the house.

How did you transition your business from selling cinnamon rolls from your apartment to doing pop-ups?

I was making cinnamon rolls and bringing them down the elevator of my building, and other residents would ask where I bought them. It was nice that people appreciated the work, and I thought that it would be fun to do pop-ups around Seattle and offer rolls that complement the flavors of their menus.

My first pop-up was at the matcha cafe Yoka, back when it first opened. We didn’t expect it to get so much interest, and I sold out in 30 minutes. I went on to do pop-ups at local businesses like Junbi, TOASTED and Taz Matcha.

You offered pop-ups for a while, but now you have a residency. What was it like to make that move?

The pop-up model was fun, but it was a lot of work to set up and be at so many different locations. I did my first residency on Sundays at Pizza by Ruffin, and they were kind enough to let me use the whole space and offer pick-ups there. After finishing my residency at Pizza by Ruffin, I reached out to the owners of Miero Coffee Bar and asked if I could use their back space for pick-ups in exchange for a percentage of my sales. I thought it would bring more traffic into the space, and they were open to it.

Recently, I decided to go all-in and rent their back space, which gives me space to bring in more equipment and hire more staff. Instead of just offering pick-ups at Miero Coffee Bar, cinnamon rolls will be available Friday to Sunday from 10 to 2 p.m. I love seeing regulars, and a lot of people say that my rolls are lighter and less sweet than traditional cinnamon rolls. I currently offer monthly flavors, and they’re based on where I’m traveling or what ingredients are in season. This month, This month, I’m offering apple cider sticky bun, maple chai, Biscoff and classic.

How did studying marketing at the UW inform your business? 

My marketing classes taught me how to build a strong brand. For Rolled Flour, I wanted to have a simple but creative brand, and a product that’s made with good ingredients and baked fresh every day. I’ve also met a lot of people who have supported and motivated me. More recently, I’ve been inspired by the owners of TOASTED. I did a pop-up with them, and they also started at a young age and are always willing to help and answer questions.

What does being a first-generation college student and entrepreneur mean to you?

It makes me more analytical and helps me take calculated risks. I originally wanted to open a brick-and-mortar this summer and toured a few places and met real estate agents. Rethinking it, I felt more rushed, so I’d rather stick it out a little longer. Having a residency was a big decision, and I see it as a way to take it to the next level of what I want to do in the future.

When you offered pre-orders, your rolls would sell out in 30 minutes or less. How did you manage the pressure that comes with that, and the rapid growth of your business?

I focus on having a good product and quality over quantity. There’s always going to be people who will appreciate it and people who won’t. It’s not meant for everyone. 

Being popular or having lines comes with being considered “overhyped” and that’s something businesses can’t control. It also comes with more expectations because people are waiting in line. Knowing that now, I’ve hired more people for my residency so it can be as efficient as possible and alleviate the lines. Having more staff also frees up time for me to work on the business and find ways to expand in the future. Being on the other side, I have so much more empathy for business owners and the pressure we face.

What advice would you give entrepreneurs who are just starting out?

Don’t wait for the right moment, and do what you can to start now. When you start taking smaller steps, you can reach out to other business owners to get help.

As you look back, how do you feel about how your business has grown?

It’s amazing to see the way Rolled Flour has grown from my apartment. I’m especially proud because I know the amount of work I put in. I had a period where I didn’t know if this was sustainable, but now I’ve been able to build a good system. I also love meeting people who really care about my business, and it’s helped me love every part of the process.

Follow Rolled Flour on Instagram for updates, and check out their website to learn more.

About the author: Aleenah Ansari (she/her) is equal parts storyteller, creative problem solver, and journalist at heart who’s rooted in the stories of people behind products, companies, and initiatives. She writes about travel, entrepreneurship, mental health and wellness, and representation in media for Insider, The Seattle Times, Byrdie, and more. You can usually find her searching for murals, reading a book by a BIPOC author, or planning her next trip to New York. You can learn more at her website.