Oven-Baked Polenta Recipe

Adapted from Paula Wolfert’s Mediterranean Grains and Greens

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups polenta
• 7-10 cups water*
• 2 teaspoons salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a shallow pan (lots of of leeway here—I use a 9x13 Le Creuset casserole, but you could use a deeper pan, or a cast-iron frying pan…). 
Combine the oil, polenta, water, and salt in the pan; stir with a fork.  Don’t worry when it separates immediately—it will come together in the oven.

Bake uncovered for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Stir the polenta with a fork, add more salt if desired, and return to the oven for 10 more minutes.
That’s it.

*About the water.  If you want a very firm polenta, use less water.  For a soft polenta, use more.  I find that even the softer polenta is firm enough to slice the next day.

One last note. If you want to make less, you simply halve the recipe and bake 45 minutes, stir, then return to the oven for 10 more minutes.  This is useful—when I want to make the larger amount, but don’t have time, I just make two half recipes and bake them side by side.  Less time baking equals less energy usage, also a good thing!

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