Gluten Free Polenta Pizza

Have you ever made polenta pizza? My family is not so crazy about a big bowl of boiled polenta, but we really love polenta pizza.

INGREDIENTS 

• 4 cups water
• 1 2/3 cup (250g) of quick-cooking instant polenta
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt

 INSTRUCTIONS

First you will need to make polenta with a dry consistency. We used instant polenta in the proportions listed above for one sheet of pizza. Bring the water to a rolling boil, add salt and whisk in the polenta. Cook on low for 5 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. (You can also use coarse corn meal and follow the cooking instructions on the package, but use a little less water so the polenta is a bit dryer than normal.)

Cover a baking tray with a piece of parchment paper and oil lightly. Spread the hot polenta out to cover as much of the tray as possible, wetting the spatula to help.

Now spread a second piece of parchment paper on top and gently flatten the polenta with a rolling pin. Uncover and let dry out for a half an hour or more. The pizza will be crisper if the polenta has dried out for 2-3 hours, but if you don’t have time, you may also skip this step or just let it dry while you prepare your favorite toppings. When the polenta is ready for baking, you should slide the sheet of polenta and the parchment paper off the tray on to a large cutting board. Dry the baking tray and cover with a little olive oil. Turn over on top of the polenta and flip the polenta so you can remove the parchment paper. This will help the polenta crisp better in the oven.

Now spread out your toppings. If you are using jovial crushed tomatoes, there is no need to cook a sauce. You can simply season the tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and spices. If you are adding cheese, like mozzarella, it will be added after the polenta has cooked for 20 minutes. In Italy, polenta is often paired with mushrooms. One delicious way to top this pizza is to use a little bid of lardo, rosemary, garlic, sautéed mushrooms and grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, but of course, this may not be for everyone. We like to use two or three different toppings so everyone has a favorite.

Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for 20 minutes until the edges are crispy. Then add mozzarella or your cheese of choice and return to the oven until melted. Serve with a drizzle of fresh olive oil, if you like. Nice with fresh herbs like arugula too.