Rose Hot Cross Buns

A splash of rose water in the dough intensifies the fragrance of the mix, and the vermouth glaze with the No. 3 dry rosé vermouth adds an adult touch to finish.

Ingredients:

For dough

• 500g strong white flour
• 10g salt
• 50g sugar
• 50g sultanas
• 50g dried apricots, chopped
• 100g mixed peel 
• 5g mixed spice
• 5g active dried yeast or 20g fresh
• 125g water, warm
• 125ml warm milk
• 1 tsp rose water
• 1  egg
• 50g  butter, chopped

Paste for cross

• 75g plain flour
• 50-75g water
• 10g caster sugar
• 1 zest of one orange

Glaze

• 50ml In the loop rose vermouth – No3
• 25g sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220C
2. To make the dough, In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, sugar, dried fruit, mixed peel, spices and yeast.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the water, milk, rose water, egg and butter together before adding to the flour bowl and stirring until a dough is formed.
4. Take the dough and knead it on a flat surface. You know the dough is ready when it has a smooth consistency and pulls apart to a thin layer that allows light through. This is called the window pane test. It will take around 10 minutes of kneading.
5. Place the dough back into the bowl, cover with clingfilm and put somewhere warm until it has doubled in size.
6. When ready, remove the dough from the bowl and place it back on your flat surface. Shape into 16 balls, arrange on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, cover with clingfilm and place back in a warm place until they have almost doubled.
7. For the paste, mix together the water, flour, sugar and orange zest until smooth. Place in a piping bag.
8. When the buns have almost doubled in size again, uncover, cut a small hole in the end of the piping bag and pipe the crosses on to them. Take your time and allow the paste to drop onto the dough before moving across the tray.
9. Bake the buns for 15 - 20 minutes, until nicely golden and hollow sounding when tapped.
10. Meanwhile, gently warm the vermouth and sugar in a pan until the sugar has fully dissolved and put to one side. Once the buns come out of the oven, brush over the glaze whilst still warm and allow them to cool on a wire rack. If the buns are touching (called the kiss) let them cool down together instead of breaking them apart when hot.