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Polenta "Pizza" experiment results

BabyBoomBBQ
BabyBoomBBQ Posts: 703
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Setup was raised 14" stone elevated over an inverted plate setter with grid. Stablized at 550-570 dome and cooked it directly on the stone without corn meal. Didn't time it, just waited until the cheese browned and I could see at least a little brown on the bottom. I tried to make the polenta as thin as possible, but will spread it out even thinner next time. It was my very first time making polenta, but I was happy with the result.[p]polentapizza1.jpg[p]The bottom was crunchy & the inside soft and hot. It was a very heavy filling dish. The GF was excited at having "Pizza" again since she can't have wheat at all. Next time, I plan on cooking the polenta with some stock and add some cheese to it. I also think the cooking temp should have been closer to 475-500 as the top cooked a little too fast in relation to the bottom. Doing a Sicilian "fried" pizza approach would also be good.[p]polentapizza2.jpg[p]Have fun![p][p]

Comments

  • ChrisC
    ChrisC Posts: 107
    BabyBoomBBQ,[p]Great Idea. I love polenta and usually mix in a good bit of parm cheese when making it.[p]The problem I have is it usually sticks to the grill grid. Pizza stone is a perfect idea.[p]Good Job!!
  • BabyBoomBBQ
    BabyBoomBBQ Posts: 703
    ChrisC,[p]Thank you very much. I fact, I was wondering of adding some parm would cause it to stick to the stone. If it looks like it will, I'll use a perforated pizza pan or screen.[p]I think I forgot to mention the polenta was chilled overnight, cut to size and cooked while still cold.
  • bigarms
    bigarms Posts: 136
    BabyBoomBBQ,[p]Man you are my new hero.......I have Celiac disease and have to cook gluten free. I haven't eaten a pizza in 3 years,.....thank you so much for sharing. Any tips on rolling out the polenta.
  • BabyBoomBBQ,[p]Very nice idea! I do not have celiac disease, but cannot handle wheat. Couple of things:[p]As others have mentioned, if you add cheese to the dough, it will likely stick to the stone. I have been there - been playing around with rice flour dough with added mozzarella cheese.[p]Also, another very good wheat free pizza crust facsimile: For a crispy thin crust, try using soft corn tortilla shells. Wipe with olive oil and top with about anything. About 3-4 minutes at 500 F. I have really grown fond of these little guys. If anyone knows where to get the soft corn tortilla shells in something larger than the ~5 inch size, I gotta have know!!!![p]
  • BobS
    BobS Posts: 2,485
    Gaspar,
    You could make your own. Try looking for a dry "tortilla flour" at your grocery store. The most common product is called Maseca (a combination of the words masa -- the word for the dough for tortillas, and seca -- the word for dry). You can try rolling out the dough by hand or see if you can get a large size tortilla press. The average tortilla press is about 5-6" and the biggest I have seen is probably like 7-8".[p]Tortilla flour is not just corn meal it is actually ground hominy. It is best to try to let the dough rest 20-30 minutes to let the water really be absorbed. It takes a little practice to get the consistency correct. It should be dry enough that you can carefully handle the raw tortilla without it falling apart and shouldn't stick to the plastic. You want to press the dough between two sheets of plastic (cutting open a big freezer bag works well). Cook on a hot, dry surface (around 400F).[p]If you start making your own tortillas, try taking the raw tortilla, put cheese on half and fold over to close/seal and then drop in about 1" of hot oil. This makes the best quesadillas you ever ate!

  • BabyBoomBBQ
    BabyBoomBBQ Posts: 703
    bigarms,[p]I just used a spatula to spread it out on a rimmed baking sheet to the thickness I was looking for. I had to keep the spatula wet to keep the polenta from sticking. I chilled it overight and cooked it cold. Oh, I did add 2 TBS of EVOO to the polenta before I spread it out. That's about it.[p]Now that I see there are other Celiacs and people avoiding wheat on the forum, I'll be sure to post anything the GF and I come up with to replace dishes she misses.