After three months of preparation, Megan Jensen has opened her vegan bakery -Bouteloua Balery - in Ballard.

Jensen said she's been a vegan for ten years but a baker her whole life.

"I've been baking since I was really little," she said.

While studying botany at a university in Lincoln, Nebraska, Jensen volunteered at a vegan cooperative.
"I was scooping a lot of cookie dough but it got me back into baking," she said.

After many "you should sell these" responses from anyone who ate her baked goods, Jensen decided to open a bakery.

In March she took over a lease for the space formerly occupied by Moo Berries on 2019 NW Market St.

Born and raised on the prairie of Nebraska, Jensen said she named the bakery after a type of grass that grows on the prairie.

"It's close to my heart," she said, pointing out the pictures of prairie land on the bakery's wall.

Jensen said she had been nervous opening up her own business and perhaps still is.

But on Yelp, the online business review guide, customers are already raving about Bouteloua Bakery.

Receiving five out of five stars, customers are excited to welcome Jensen and her baked goods to the neighborhood.

"I am so beyond thrilled to have Bouteloua in the neighborhood!" wrote Renai M. from Seattle.

Another customer raved about the French press coffee as well as the baked goods. "I got a slice of the coconut cake and yum yum.  Moist and flavorful. Our overall happiness with the opening of this place was realized and we can't wait to go back"

Working from 3 a.m. until 6 p.m., Jensen bakes everything in-store and offers breads, rolls, pastries, bars, cookies, and special-order cakes.

"Right now I'm just trying to figure everything out and see what customers like," Jensen said, adding that she offers one type of gluten-free option a day ranging from cupcakes to cake by the slice.

Jensen said she's especially excited for special-order cakes as she loves decorating cakes.

After a minute or two of deliberation, Jensen said her favorite item on the menu is her chocolate cake with vanilla butter cream although the almond poppy seeds muffins are her specialty.

Benny, one of Jensen's two employees, disagreed with her. While everything is good, he said Jensen's croissants are the best thing on the menu.

"I'm not vegan but they are really good," he said. "They taste like real croissants."

Jensen admitted she is pleased with her croissants, especially since she never actually had a real butter croissants herself.

The secret behind the buttery taste without using butter, is earth balance margarine, Jensen revealed.

Jensen is currently toying with the idea of offering weekly bread orders in order to take out the guess work of what bread to make and when to make it. As of now, Jensen offers rosemary focaccia, dill bread, and white bread.

To learn more about Jensen and her vegan bakery visit Bouteloua as she will be at the bakery 15 hours a day until she has the capital to train and hire another baker.

More information can also be found at her Facebook page.

For special orders, call Jensen at 206-297-1542 or send her an email at
BoutelouaBakery@gmail.com.