Hearty Vegan Mushroom & Farro Rolls

Place the pearled farro in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold running water, swishing with your fingers until the water runs clear. Drain well.

Combine the rinsed farro and 500ml of vegetable stock in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, about 100°C/212°F. Reduce to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 22 to 25 minutes until the grains are tender but still distinctly chewy. Drain off any remaining liquid and spread the farro on a tray to cool slightly.

While the farro cooks, prepare the vegetables: chop the mushrooms into roughly 1cm pieces; trim the fennel bulb, reserving a few fronds for garnish if desired, and dice the bulb into 1cm pieces; halve the leek lengthwise, rinse well under cold water to dislodge any grit between the layers, then slice into 5mm half-moons; and mince the garlic.

Position a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat to 200°C/400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.

Heat 30ml of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, around 190°C/375°F. Add the chopped mushrooms in a single layer and cook without stirring for 4 minutes to encourage browning, then stir and continue cooking until they release and then fully evaporate their liquid, 6 to 8 minutes total. The mushrooms should look dry and deeply browned.

Add the diced fennel, sliced leek and minced garlic to the skillet. Cook over medium heat, around 170°C/340°F, for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring often, until the fennel is tender with caramelised edges and the leeks are silky and translucent.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked farro, sautéed vegetables, 50g almond butter, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, fresh thyme, fresh sage, salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly until evenly coated and the mixture holds together when pressed.

Spread the filling in a shallow dish and refrigerate, uncovered, for 30 minutes until thoroughly chilled and firm. The filling must be cold before it meets the pastry.

Working with one pastry sheet at a time and keeping the second in the refrigerator, cut the pastry in half lengthwise to make two long strips about 11 to 12cm wide. Repeat with the second sheet for four strips in total.

Spoon a quarter of the chilled filling, about 210g, in a log along one long edge of a pastry strip, leaving about 1.5cm of pastry clear along all edges. Roll the pastry over the filling to enclose it completely, then place the roll seam-side down on the bench. Repeat with the remaining three strips and filling.

Cut each filled log into three equal pieces about 7 to 8cm long. Press the tines of a fork firmly along each cut end to crimp and seal, then transfer the rolls to the prepared baking sheet, seam-side down and spaced about 3cm apart.

Using a sharp knife, score the top of each roll with three shallow diagonal cuts, cutting just through the top layer of pastry so steam can escape during baking.

Whisk together 15g almond butter and 30ml almond milk in a small bowl until smooth. Brush the glaze generously over the tops and sides of each roll, then sprinkle with fennel seeds, if using, and a pinch of flaky sea salt.

Bake on the centre rack for 25 to 30 minutes at 200°C/400°F, until the pastry is deeply golden, well puffed and crisp, and the filling reaches an internal temperature of 74°C/165°F. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before serving warm, garnished with the reserved fennel fronds if desired.