With these quantities, we will get a polenta pizza of about 1.1 lbs, with a thickness of 1/5 inch, with a crispier outside and a soft inside.

If the tomato sauce we use is too liquid, pour it into a pan without the lid on and, on low heat on the smallest burner, let it thicken to obtain a dense sauce (it will take about 10 minutes). We can then decide whether to add a pinch of fine salt and a few basil leaves to make it even more flavorful. Be careful not to let it burn, stirring it often.

Prepare the 9.5-inch-diameter pan in which we will pour the cooked polenta.

Grease it with a little extra virgin olive oil or butter; or line it with parchment paper. To keep the parchment paper in place while spreading the polenta, moisten both the pan and the side of the paper that will touch the pan.

Cut the mozzarella (or other stringy cheese) into thin slices, or strips, or break it into pieces by hand, as is most convenient. It is preferable to use cheese from the day before because it is drier.

Grate the mix of Pecorino and Parmesan and set it aside.

Wash and gently pat dry the basil leaves (it may seem strange, but, to this day, my basil plant is still surviving, beautiful and lush).

Lightly oil a sheet of parchment paper that will help us spread the polenta in the pan, without burning ourselves and detaching it easily afterward, once done.

Now we can focus on preparing the polenta.

Pour the water into a saucepan, set it on the medium burner on medium heat, and as soon as it is warm, pour in the fine cornmeal, the coarse salt, lower the heat, and mix until we achieve the actual polenta, a fluid yet firm mixture, not liquid, in which all the water is absorbed and which detaches from the sides of the pan.

As soon as the polenta has reached the right consistency, add a generous tablespoon of the cheese mix and stir until it is absorbed; then, pour it immediately, while still hot, into the pan and, being careful not to burn ourselves, spread it as much as possible, placing the oiled parchment paper on top and pressing gently with a ladle, a meat pounder, or the base of another pan until it is completely spread and reaches the pan’s edges; once done, remove the paper from the surface of the polenta.

Preheat the oven to 392°F (it is not necessary to turn it on too early, as it does not need to rise but only dry and cook the tomato sauce present on the polenta pizza).

Season it with 2 or 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce, a bit more grated cheese, a pinch of fine salt, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and into the oven it goes, on the lowest rack.
Let it dry and firm up, until it reaches a nice golden yellow color (as seen in the photo) for about 20/25 minutes at most, but be careful not to let it burn.

When the polenta pizza is nicely golden on the bottom and edges (and the sauce is cooked, well-dried), turn off the oven, remove it, and finish with mozzarella, fresh basil, and a bit more grated cheese.

Let it cool for a few minutes, then we can cut it into slices and serve it.

Bon appetit