This is a traditional hometown pastry from southern China — a little treat with a surprisingly rich character：with each bite, the crust and filling melt together in perfect seamless harmony — yet not greasy at all.

The secret to making this type of southern Chinese pastry lies in the blending of two types of dough. Once you understand this, the rest becomes fairly simple.

Roll both doughs out into equal-sized sheets. Place the low-gluten (butter) dough sheet on top of the high-gluten dough sheet. Roll them up together into a log, then press to flatten.

This layering is the key to the pastry’s flakiness — the high-gluten dough provides structural support, while the low-gluten dough adds crisp tender layers. Proper integration of the two is essential.

* High-gluten flour dough: Mix high-gluten flour with baking soda, baking powder, and water. Knead the dough and let it rest for about an hour. For an even finer texture, knead it again after resting.

* Low-gluten (cake) flour dough: Combine low-gluten flour with an equal amount of butter (or lard), and rub together until it forms a soft, oily dough.

Once the final dough is ready, divide it into small equal portions ready to fill. The choice of filling is completely up to you.

Usually, we make two types of fillings:
– A savory filling of minced meat with scallions and spiced salt;
– A sweet filling made with dark brown sugar;

After filling and sealing the pastries, brush the tops with egg white and press them in sesame seeds.

Preheat the oven.

Bake at 210°C (410°F) for about 20 minutes.