Crispy and salty on the outside, fluffy and steamy on the inside—that’s how a baked potato ought to be. From a dollop of sour cream or perhaps a scoop from last night’s bean chili, you will never bake a potato the same. While the oven requires a little more time than nuking your spuds in the microwave, it doesn’t take much more effort than setting a timer for yourself and a couple more (worthwhile) prep steps. Which potato is the best to bake? Besides being awesome for French fries, potato pancakes, and mashed potatoes, Russet potatoes are perfect for baking. These guys have a thick skin and are super high in starch, which means fluffy, light and deliciousness on the inside. Plus, they are usually huge in size, making one Russet perfect per person for a side dish or snack. Here’s what you need: Russet Potatoes Knife Olive Oil Coarse Sea Salt A baking sheet

• Preheat your oven to 400ºF before you do the following steps.
• Wash and scrub your potatoes in cool water, dry them, and cut off any bruised or discolored areas with your knife.
• Poke some holes in the potatoes—a very important step as this allows the steam to escape.
• Next, coat the spuds in olive oil, and then sprinkle or roll your potatoes in the coarse seal salt. This helps makes the skin tasty and crisp—you’ll never go back!
• Now, go ahead and place your potatoes on the middle of your oven rack, and place a cookie sheet underneath them to catch any drippings.
• Go ahead and bake the spuds for an hour, turning them half way during the baking time. When you test the doneness of the potatoes, you’re looking for the insides to be fork tender with a crispy outside.

You may wonder why we didn’t mention using aluminum foil. Technically speaking, wrapping a potato in aluminum foil is considered steaming since it traps in the moisture—affecting the texture. Though, keeping the spuds unwrapped gives you a crispy skin (that’s what we’re going for) as opposed to a softer skin (wrapped). Go ahead and experiment for yourself to see if you can tell the difference.

How to Perfectly Bake a Potato in Your Oven