• Home
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • EASY RECIPES
    • Easy Dinner
    • One-pot
    • Instant Pot
  • BY CUISINE
    • Asian Fusion
    • Chinese
    • Peranakan/Nyonya
    • CAMBODIA
    • LAOS
    • INDONESIAN
    • Indonesian Chinese
    • MALAYSIA
    • MYANMAR
    • SINGAPORE
    • Singapore Hawker Food
    • THAILAND
    • VIETNAM
  • BY COURSE
    • Breakfast
    • Dim Sum
    • Main Course
    • Soups/Stews
    • Salad
    • Sides
    • Condiments
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
  • INGREDIENTS
    • Rice & Grains
    • Noodles
    • Eggs
    • Tofu & Tempeh
    • Poultry
    • Red Meats
    • Pork
    • Seafood
  • SOURDOUGH
    • Sourdough Bread Recipes
    • Recipes Using Sourdough Discard
  • BREAD & BUNS
    • Steamed Buns
    • Bread with Yeast
    • No-Knead Bread
    • Quick Bread
  • CAKES/COOKIES/PASTRIES
    • Cakes
    • Chiffon Cakes
    • Sponge Cakes
    • Pastries
    • Cookies
    • Kue/Kueh
    • No-Bake Dessert
  • DIETARY
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegan
    • VEGETARIAN
    • CONFINEMENT
  • celebrate
    • Chinese New Year
    • Easter
    • Hari Raya
    • Dragon Boat Festival
    • Mooncake Festival
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter Solstice
    • Christmas Cooking
    • Christmas Baking
What To Cook Today
  • ABOUT ME
    • CONTACT
  • Pantry
  • Shop
  • subscribe
  • Home
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • EASY RECIPES
    • Easy Dinner
    • One-pot
    • Instant Pot
  • BY CUISINE
    • Asian Fusion
    • Chinese
    • Peranakan/Nyonya
    • CAMBODIA
    • LAOS
    • INDONESIAN
    • Indonesian Chinese
    • MALAYSIA
    • MYANMAR
    • SINGAPORE
    • Singapore Hawker Food
    • THAILAND
    • VIETNAM
  • BY COURSE
    • Breakfast
    • Dim Sum
    • Main Course
    • Soups/Stews
    • Salad
    • Sides
    • Condiments
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
  • INGREDIENTS
    • Rice & Grains
    • Noodles
    • Eggs
    • Tofu & Tempeh
    • Poultry
    • Red Meats
    • Pork
    • Seafood
  • SOURDOUGH
    • Sourdough Bread Recipes
    • Recipes Using Sourdough Discard
  • BREAD & BUNS
    • Steamed Buns
    • Bread with Yeast
    • No-Knead Bread
    • Quick Bread
  • CAKES/COOKIES/PASTRIES
    • Cakes
    • Chiffon Cakes
    • Sponge Cakes
    • Pastries
    • Cookies
    • Kue/Kueh
    • No-Bake Dessert
  • DIETARY
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegan
    • VEGETARIAN
    • CONFINEMENT
  • celebrate
    • Chinese New Year
    • Easter
    • Hari Raya
    • Dragon Boat Festival
    • Mooncake Festival
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter Solstice
    • Christmas Cooking
    • Christmas Baking
What To Cook Today
What To Cook Today
  • Home
  • ABOUT ME
    • CONTACT
  • SHOP
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • easy recipes
    • Easy Dinner
    • One-pot
    • Instant Pot
  • by course
    • Breakfast
    • Dim Sum
    • Main Course
    • Soups/Stews
    • Salad
    • Sides
    • Condiments
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
  • ingredients
    • Rice & Grains
    • Noodles
    • Eggs
    • Tofu & Tempeh
    • Poultry
    • Red Meats
    • Pork
    • Seafood
  • sourdough
    • Sourdough Bread Recipes
    • Recipes Using Sourdough Discard
  • bread & buns
    • Steamed Buns
    • Bread with Yeast
    • No-Knead Bread
    • Quick Bread
  • cakes/cookies/pastries
    • Cakes
    • Pastries
    • Chiffon Cakes
    • Sponge Cakes
    • Cookies
    • No-Bake Dessert
    • Kue/Kueh
  • dietary
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegan
    • VEGETARIAN
    • CONFINEMENT
  • celebrate
    • Chinese New Year
    • Easter
    • Hari Raya
    • Dragon Boat Festival
    • Mooncake Festival
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter Solstice
    • Christmas Baking
    • Christmas Cooking

Roti Baso Ayam Jadul (Old-School Baked Chicken Buns)

written by Marvellina Published: February 16, 2023
3.3K
PIN RECIPE COMMENTS VIEW RECIPE
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Soft and fluffy milk buns are stuffed with ground chicken filling cooked with aromatic spices and umami seasonings. This is a popular street food in Indonesia also known as roti baso ayam jadul.

Roti Baso Ayam Jadul (Old-School Chicken Stuffed Baked Buns)

My dad often brought home this roti baso ayam when we were young. I’m not sure if I have mentioned before that he went to bakery shops every day after work. He would pick up all kinds of mini cakes, pastries, and bread, for himself and us, the kids and savory snacks for my mom. My mom has zero sweeth tooth in her LOL! My dad, on the other hand, was the opposite. But this, roti baso ayam, our whole family loves this!

What is roti baso ayam jadul?

Roti means bread, baso/bakso in general means meatballs, ayam means chicken, and jadul is short of JAman DULu, which means old-school in Indonesian language. If you were to translate this literally it is old-school chicken meatball buns. You would think it’s chicken meatballs sandwiched in between milk buns. Well, there are no round meatballs. The filling is actually made with minced/ground chicken and has a savory and sweet combination. Kinda like deconstructed meatballs. The old-school bread/buns are usually not glazed with any eggwash, milk wash, etc. The buns/bread are baked unglazed and the finished buns won’t be shiny

Recipe rundown

1. Taste: the filling is savory and sweet. It reminds me of the filling of Nyonya Chang. It’s very flavorful with its savory and sweet note
2. Texture: The buns are incredibly soft and fluffy. What I love about this recipe is that the bread is also eggless
3. Difficulty: Medium

Roti Baso Ayam Jadul (Old-School Chicken Stuffed Baked Buns)

How to make roti baso ayam jadul

1. Preheat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add butter or margarine and let it melt.

2. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds.

3. Add the ground chicken meat, breaking up the lumps with the wooden spatula. Cook until the chicken turns opaque in color.

4. Add the seasonings and finely chopped candied winter melon and continue to saute until the chicken picks up all the seasonings

5. There will be some juice ooze out after cooking. Combine cornstarch with water and pour into the filling and continue stirring until the mixture is thickened and no longer watery. It’s easier to wrap the filling later

6. Add the green onion and cook for another minute and then turn off the heat. Have a taste. It should be savory and sweet. Adjust the seasonings to your preference

7. If you prepare ahead, let the filling cool down completely and then keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. When ready to use, portion the filling into 8 portions so you won’t have any leftovers. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper

8. Let’s prepare the dough now. Combine all ingredients for the dough, except for the butter in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment.

9. Knead until it forms a rough dough, about 5 minutes on speed 2.

10. Add the softened butter and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, on speed 4 about 7-10 minutes. The dough is soft and shiny and slightly sticky. Don’t add any extra flour. If you slowly stretch a small amount of the dough thinly, it won’t break. It has reached a window-pane stage. Oil your hands or spatula to transfer the dough to a container for proofing in the next step

11. Oil a large bowl and transfer the dough into the bowl. Cover and let it proof at a warm place for about 1 hour or until it doubles in size. Don’t go by the time. It may take longer if the temperature is colder where you are

12. When you press on the dough, the indentation stays, which means the dough is done proofing. Transfer to a work surface lightly dusted with some flour

13. Punch all the air out and give it a few kneads. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll it into smooth round dough ball. Cover and let them rest for 10 minutes

14. Work with one dough at a time. Roll it into an oval, about 5-6 inches long and about 4 inches wide. Scoop one portion of the filling, leaving about 1/2 inch clear around the edge of the dough. Try not to let the filling touch the edge of the dough because the oil from the filling won’t let you seal the dough properly

15. Fold the dough over to cover the filling and then continue to roll up tightly and roll into an oval shape. Pinch the seam to seal tightly. Alternatively, you can always shape them into round shapes too. The jadul version I remember is an oval shape  

16. Place this on the baking sheet. Give about 2 inches of space in between the buns

17. Cover and let the dough proof for the second time until they are puffy and light, about 45 minutes to 1 hour at a warm place. 10 minutes before the end of the second proofing, preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C) for a conventional oven. For a convection oven, 350 F (180 C)
18. The jadul version I grew up with was the buns were baked without any egg glaze. If you want to brush with egg wash for a shiny look, don’t let me stop you. Simply beat some egg to loosen with water. Brush this over the surface of the buns. Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the buns are golden brown or until internal temperature is at least 190 F (88 C). Brush with some melted butter on the surface of the buns while they are still warm. Let the buns cool down on a cooling rack. Serve them warm or room temperature

Roti Baso Ayam Jadul (Old-School Chicken Stuffed Baked Buns)

How to store

As these buns are filled with meat, they are best eaten on the same day, but if you have leftovers, I suggest freezing them instead of keeping them in the fridge. The refrigerator will make the bread stale much faster. Here’s how to freeze them:
1. Let the buns cool down completely
2. Individually wrap them in a plastic wrap and then put inside a freezer bag, push all the air out and seal. They can be kept frozen for one month
3. To reheat, no need to thaw the buns. Simply wrap them in a foil and bake in a preheated oven at 325 F (165 C) for 10 minutes

Did you make this roti baso ayam jadul recipe?

I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag it to show me what you’ve made. Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!

Roti Baso Ayam Jadul (Old-School Chicken Stuffed Baked Buns)
Roti Baso Ayam Jadul (Old-School Chicken Stuffed Baked Buns)

Roti Baso Ayam Jadul (Old-School Baked Chicken Buns)

Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Proof the dough twice: 2 hours hrs
Total Time 2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins
Servings 8 buns
5 from 4 reviews
REVIEW & RATE PRINT

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 250 g bread flour (12% protein content)
  • 4 g yeast
  • 30 g milk powder
  • 50 g sugar
  • 4 g fine sea salt
  • 50 g egg 1 large egg
  • 120 g water
  • 40 g softened butter

For the filling:

  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 250 g ground chicken
  • 100 g yellow/white onion finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 20 g Candied winter melon minced. See notes

Seasonings:

  • 1 Tbsp kecap manis
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
  • ¼ tsp salt or more as needed
  • 2 Tbsp palm sugar or use brown sugar
  • ¼ tsp ground white pepper
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg (freshly ground if possible)
  • 1 stalk green onion finely chopped

To thicken the filling:

  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 Tbsp water

Egg wash (optional) – I didn't use

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp water

Instructions
 

Prepare the filling: (can be done a few days before)

  • Combine all the seasonings ingredients in a bowl and set aside
  • Preheat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add butter or margarine and let it melt. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Add the ground chicken meat, breaking up the lumps with the wooden spatula. Cook until the chicken turns opaque in color. Add the seasonings and finely chopped candied winter melon and continue to saute until the chicken picks up all the seasonings.
  • There will be some juice ooze out after cooking. Combine cornstarch with water and pour into the filling and continue stirring until the mixture is thickened and no longer watery. It's easier to wrap the filling later
  • Add the green onion and cook for another minute and then turn off the heat. Have a taste. It should be savory and sweet. Adjust the seasonings to your preference. It should taste savory and sweet
  • If you prepare ahead, let the filling cool down completely and then keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days

Prepare the dough:

  • Combine all ingredients for the dough, except for the butter in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Knead until it forms a rough dough, about 5 minutes on speed 2. Add the softened butter and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, on speed 4 about 7-10 minutes. The dough is soft and shiny and slightly sticky. Don't add any extra flour. If you slowly stretch a small amount of the dough thinly, it won't break. It has reached a window-pane stage. Oil your hands or spatula to transfer the dough to a container for proofing in the next step

First proofing:

  • Oil a large bowl and transfer the dough into the bowl. Cover and let it proof at a warm place for about 1 hour or until it doubles in size. Don't go by the time. It may take longer if the temperature is colder where you are
  • When you press on the dough, the indentation stays, which means the dough is done proofing. Transfer to a work surface lightly dusted with some flour

Shaping:

  • Portion the filling into 8 portions so you won't have any leftovers. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
  • Punch all the air out and give it a few kneads. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Flatten the dough slightly into a disc and then pull the edges of the dough and tuck to form a round shape. Roll it into smooth round dough ball. Cover and let them rest for 10 minutes
  • Work with one dough at a time. Roll it into an oval, about 5-6 inches long and about 4 inches wide. Scoop one portion of the filling, leaving about 1/2 inch clear around the edge of the dough. Try not to let the filling touch the edge of the dough because the oil from the filling won't let you seal the dough properly
  • Pinch the edge together to seal the dough tightly and roll into an oval shape. Alternatively, you can always shape them into round shape too. The jadul version I remember is an oval shape 🙂 Place this on the baking sheet. Give about 2 inches of space in between the buns

Second proofing:

  • Cover and let the dough proof for the second time until they are puffy and light, about 45 minutes to 1 hour at a warm place
  • 10 minutes before the end of the second proofing, preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C) for a conventional oven. For a convection oven, 350 F (180 C)

Baking:

  • The jadul version I grew up with was the buns were baked without any egg glaze. If you want to brush with egg wash for the shiny look, don't let me stop you. Simply beat some egg to loosen with water. Brush this over the surface of the buns
  • Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the buns are golden brown or until internal temperature is at least 190 F (88 C). Brush with some melted butter on the surface of the buns while they are still warm if you want soft and shiny crust
  • Let the buns cool down on a cooling rack. Serve them warm or room temperature

RECOMMEDED TOOLS

digital kitchen scale
digital kitchen scale
Kitchen Aid Standmixer

Marv’s Recipe Notes

Candied winter melon is also known as buah kundur (tangkwe). If you cannot find it, you can omit and increase the amount of sugar to another 1 Tbsp 

*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*

Nutrition Facts
Roti Baso Ayam Jadul (Old-School Baked Chicken Buns)
Serving Size
 
1 buns
Amount per Serving
Calories
318
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
12
g
18
%
Saturated Fat
 
6
g
38
%
Trans Fat
 
0.3
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
4
g
Cholesterol
 
95
mg
32
%
Sodium
 
625
mg
27
%
Potassium
 
299
mg
9
%
Carbohydrates
 
39
g
13
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
14
g
16
%
Protein
 
13
g
26
%
Vitamin A
 
332
IU
7
%
Vitamin C
 
2
mg
2
%
Calcium
 
58
mg
6
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Did you make this recipe?Let me know how you like this recipe and consider rating it! Tag me @whattocooktoday I’d love to see your photos/videos on Instagram
previous post
Pandan Donut Loaf Cake
next post
Super Soft Shokupan/ Japanese Milk Bread (Sponge Method)
5 from 4 votes (4 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Please feel free to ask questions here or leave your comments and ratings if you have tried the recipe! Your Email address will not be published!




Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hello! I'm Marvellina!

I’m passionate about food—especially bold, comforting Asian flavors—and I love sharing approachable recipes and creative bakes with an Asian twist. So glad you’re here! LEARN MORE...

Our Favorites

  • How To Make Soft and Fluffy Pandan Chiffon Cake (Complete Guide)

  • How to Make Basic Asian Rice Porridge (Congee)

  • Soft Fluffy Steamed Bao Buns Recipe (Baozi/Mantou)

  • The Easiest Crispy Roast Pork Belly (Siu Yuk – Sio Bak)

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Youtube

©2025 - What To Cook Today. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy & Disclosure Policy


Back To Top
  • Home
  • ABOUT ME
    • CONTACT
  • SHOP
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • easy recipes
    • Easy Dinner
    • One-pot
    • Instant Pot
  • by course
    • Breakfast
    • Dim Sum
    • Main Course
    • Soups/Stews
    • Salad
    • Sides
    • Condiments
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
  • ingredients
    • Rice & Grains
    • Noodles
    • Eggs
    • Tofu & Tempeh
    • Poultry
    • Red Meats
    • Pork
    • Seafood
  • sourdough
    • Sourdough Bread Recipes
    • Recipes Using Sourdough Discard
  • bread & buns
    • Steamed Buns
    • Bread with Yeast
    • No-Knead Bread
    • Quick Bread
  • cakes/cookies/pastries
    • Cakes
    • Pastries
    • Chiffon Cakes
    • Sponge Cakes
    • Cookies
    • No-Bake Dessert
    • Kue/Kueh
  • dietary
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegan
    • VEGETARIAN
    • CONFINEMENT
  • celebrate
    • Chinese New Year
    • Easter
    • Hari Raya
    • Dragon Boat Festival
    • Mooncake Festival
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter Solstice
    • Christmas Baking
    • Christmas Cooking

Let me know how you like the recipe and consider rating it!

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.