← Back to Recipes

How to Make Baked Potatoes

From: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cooking Basics
Servings: makes 4 servings
Save Recipe

Ronnie's Notes

Centuries ago when the Spanish conquistadors discovered Inca tribesmen baking potatoes in hearth fires, they knew the dish was a winner and took the recipe back to Europe. We still love baked potatoes today, and they are among the easiest foods to prepare.

Tips: Kitchen Clue You pierce the potato to prevent steam that builds up in the flesh from causing the potato to explode. You don’t wrap the potatoes because wrapping causes the potato to “steam” rather than to bake, which results in poor potato texture as well as soggy skin. Oiling the skin also causes slight steaming, and it adds unnecessary calories.

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

+ Shopping List
Scale Recipe
4

Instructions

7 steps0 completed
Tap times to set timers
1

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2

Scrub the potatoes thoroughly.

3

Do NOT wrap them in foil.

4

Do NOT brush the skin with vegetable oil.

5

Bake the potatoes .

6

Prick the potato skin in 2 or 3 places with the tines of a fork.

7

Continue to bake another 35– or until they are tender all the way through when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.

Progress0%
Loading memories...