This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
If you’ve ever had the iconic Seremban siew bao in Malaysia, you know how addictive they are. These baked BBQ pork buns have a flaky golden crust and a sweet-savory filling. and yes, you can totally make them at home.
If you’ve ever visited Seremban in Malaysia, chances are you’ve heard of or tasted the famous Siew Bao. These little golden parcels are filled with savory-sweet BBQ pork (char siu), wrapped in a flaky, slightly crisp pastry, and baked until golden and glossy. I grew up eating the ones from Seremban and let me tell you—they’re addictive. It’s one of those things I have to bring back whenever I visit. The good news? You can totally make them at home. And they taste just as good (maybe even better because they’re fresh out of the oven!).
What is siew bao / shao bao?
Siew Bao (or Shao Bao) literally means “baked bun.” Unlike regular steamed pork buns (char siu bao), siew bao is wrapped in a water-oil pastry and baked until golden brown. The filling is usually chopped char siu (Chinese BBQ pork) tossed in a sweet and savory sauce. The pastry has a slightly crisp outer shell and tender, layered texture inside—kind of like a cross between a shortcrust and puff pastry.
Seremban Siew Bao is the OG version—crispy shell, fragrant filling, and a glossy finish. You’ll often see them in bakeries across Malaysia, but nothing beats homemade.
Why you’ll like this recipe
1. The dough is a total dream to work with
2. The pastry is light, flaky, and slightly crispy—not greasy or heavy.
3. The filling is savory, sweet, and rich with char siu flavor.
4. You can freeze extras and bake straight from frozen—perfect for snack cravings.
5. Total crowd-pleasers for parties, potlucks, or lazy Sunday tea time.
Seremban Siew Bao / Shao Bao (Baked BBQ Pork Pastry)
Ingredients
Water dough:
- 210 g all-purpose flour
- 30 g powdered sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 70 g unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 100 g water or as needed
Oil dough:
- 160 g all-purpose flour
- 110 g unsalted butter softened at room temperature
Filling:
- 400 g Chinese bbq pork
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 1 small onion
- 3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- ¼ tsp freshly ground white pepper
- ½ cup water
To thicken the filling:
- 1 Tbsp corn starch
- 2 Tbsp water
For glazing:
- 2 large egg yolks beaten
- 1 tsp water
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
Prepare the filling: (prepare the day before)
- Please follow the instruction here to make the char siu
- Preheat your wok or skillet over high heat. Add in the oil. Add onions and saute until fragrant and soft, about 3 minutes. Add the BBQ pork (or uncooked chicken meat if that's what you are using, and cook until they turn opaque in color). Add hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, pepper, sugar and stir to combine everything. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Have a taste and it should be sweet and savory.
- Combine cornstach with water to make a slurry and pour into the meat mixture and cook until the filling is thickened and moist
- Remove from the heat and let it cool down completely. Cover and keep in the fridge. It's easier to wrap when the filling is cold
Prepare water dough:
- Add flour, sugar, and salt to a mixing bowl. Whisk to mix together. Add the softened butter.
- Use your hands to rub the butter into the flour mixture. It would resemble some coarse crumbs. Add the water and gently knead into the dough. You may need more water or you may not. I only used 50 grams of water
- The dough is not going to be smooth but it should be soft. Your bowl should be clean.
- Wrap with a cling wrap and set aside to let it rest for 15 minutes
Prepare the oil dough:
- Add flour and softened butter to the same mixing bowl.
- Use your hands to rub the butter into the flour until you can form a non-sticky dough. This dough has no gluten development because there's no water. Roll the dough into a long log and cut into 16 equal pieces.
- Roll them into round dough balls. Keep them covered
- After resting the water dough, divide into 16 pieces (about 26 grams each). Round each one into a dough ball. Lightly dust your work surface with a bit of flour if necessary
Put the two doughs together:
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven at 400 F (200 C). I have a conventional oven with bottom heat only. If your oven has both bottom and top heat, you may want to lower the temperature by 15 C/ 20 F
- Lightly flour your work surface. Take one water dough and flatten it into a round with your palm and use a rolling pin to roll from center to the edge to form a disc, about 3 inches. Put the oil dough on top
- Wrap the water dough around it.
- Pinch the seam to seal tightly.
- Repeat with the rest. Cover them with a cling wrap
Shaping:
- Work with one dough at a time and keep the rest covered. Place the seam side up.
- Roll the dough from the center and outward into an oblong shape, about 5 inches long.
- Roll it up like a Swiss roll.
- Rotate 90 degrees
- Roll it out again from the center and outward into a longer oblong shape, about 10 inches long.
- Swiss roll it up again. Put aside and cover. Repeat with the rest
- Place the swirl side down
- Flatten with your palm
- Use a rolling pin to roll it out from the center and outward to form a circle about 5 inches wide and slightly thicker at the center.
- Place the filling on the center and then pleat the dough and pinch to seal the dough well.
- You need to really seal it well or it will open up during baking.
- Place the shaped pastry on a baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling
- Brush the shaped pastry with egg wash
Baking:
- Put the baking sheet in the oven, middle rack and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and brush with some egg wash and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. Put the baking sheet back into the oven and bake for another 20 minutes or until they are golden brown
- Remove from the oven and let them cool down for 10-15 minutes before serving. The outside shell is crispy and when you bite into it, it flakes, which is what we want
RECOMMEDED TOOLS
Marv’s Recipe Notes
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
Key Components
1. The Pastry
Siew bao uses a two-part dough: Water dough (soft, pliable) and Oil dough (rich and tender). These two are wrapped together and rolled out to create light, flaky layers. Don’t worry—it’s easier than it sounds, and I’ll walk you through it step by step.
2. The Filling
I usually make this with leftover homemade or store-bought char siu. You just chop it up and follow the recipe to make a moist filling for the siew bao. The filling needs to be moist so it remains juicy after baking
3. Glazing the pastry twice
Glazing the pastry twice with an egg yolk wash will ensure that shiny and deep golden brown finish on the pastry
How to Store & Reheat
1. Reheat: Pop baked ones in a toaster oven or air fryer for 5–7 minutes at 350°F (175°C) until warm and crispy.
2. Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
3. Freeze: Freeze unbaked siew bao on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen at 375°F (190°C) for about 5–10 minutes longer than fresh.
FAQ & Troubleshooting
1. Can I use store-bought char siu?
Absolutely. If you have a good Chinese BBQ shop nearby, grab some char siu and chop it up. Just try to avoid pieces that are too fatty. Homemade works great too if you’re already making a batch!
2. Can I use chicken or tofu instead of pork?
Yes! You can totally use chopped cooked chicken with the same sauce base. For a vegetarian version, pressed tofu or mushrooms work well—just make sure to cook out the moisture so the filling isn’t too wet.
3. My siew bao exploded while baking. Why??
Been there. A few things could be going on: Too much filling, the filling wasn’t chilled, edges weren’t sealed tightly
Make sure you pinch the dough together firmly and avoid overfilling.
4. Can I freeze them?
Yes! You can freeze unbaked siew bao. Line them up on a tray, freeze until solid, then transfer to a zip-top bag. Bake from frozen—just add 5–10 minutes to the bake time. You can also freeze baked ones and reheat in a toaster oven or air fryer.
5. Can I make the dough in advance?
Yup. You can prep both the water dough and oil dough the day before. Wrap tightly and chill, then let them come to room temp before rolling.
6. My pastry isn’t flaky—what went wrong?
Usually it’s one of three things:
-The oil dough wasn’t sealed properly inside the water dough, so it leaked
-Dough was over-kneaded or over-rolled
-Too much moisture in the doughs
7.What kind of flour should I use?
I usually use all-purpose flour for both doughs. It gives a good balance between structure and tenderness. Avoid cake flour or bread flour—those can mess with the texture.
Making siew bao from scratch might seem like a project, but it’s one of those recipes that really pays off. The contrast of the flaky crust with that rich, sweet-savory filling is just so satisfying. I always feel a little proud pulling these out of the oven—they look impressive, smell amazing, and disappear fast! Let me know if you give this a try—I’d love to hear how it turns out!
2 comments
Today I tried your recipe, Marvellina. Worked out very well. Very Tasty and flaky. Since I baked in a small ovenette, I suggested shorted the time of baking. Maybe the second baking could be only for 8mins.
Hi June, I’m happy to know that it worked out well for you. Ah…good to know that it takes much shorter time for small oven. Thank you for sharing. I’m sure others with similar oven will find this helpful 🙂