How to Bake the Perfect Potato
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Adapted from: General culinary technique — best practices compilation
Cook Time: 45–55 minutes | Temperature: 450°F
The seemingly simple baked potato has a right way and a wrong way. The right way — high heat, butter-basted skin, two rounds of baking — produces a shatteringly crispy skin and a fluffy, steaming interior. Here's the method.
What You Need
- Russet potatoes (the only real choice — thick skins that crisp perfectly, starchy flesh that goes fluffy)
- Butter or high-heat oil (avocado oil or regular olive oil — not extra-virgin)
- Coarse Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Place a wire cooling rack on top of a baking sheet (this lets heat circulate under the potato). Alternatively, bake directly on a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Poke each potato all over with a fork — about 10 times. This prevents steam from building up and is non-negotiable.
- First bake: Place the potatoes on the rack and bake for 25 minutes, until the skin starts to feel dry and slightly wrinkly.
- Remove from oven. Use a pastry brush to coat each potato with melted butter or oil on all sides. Sprinkle generously with coarse Kosher salt. Return to the baking sheet with the opposite side facing up.
- Second bake: Bake for an additional 20 minutes. Test for doneness by carefully squeezing the potato with an oven mitt — if the inside feels soft and gives under pressure, it's done. If not, continue in 5-minute increments. Total cook time is typically 45–55 minutes depending on size.
- Serve: Slice open lengthwise with a paring knife, give it a squeeze to open, fluff the insides with a fork, and add your favorite toppings.
Shop This Recipe: A wire cooling rack, pastry brush, and a quality baking sheet are the three tools for a perfect baked potato. Browse our kitchen tools at The Kitchen Wins.
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