How to Bake a Potato in the Oven, Brief Tutorial

If you are adding potato to your diet recently and dont know what to do with it, we have a suggestion: bake it. Baking potato is one of good ways to enjoy them. If you dont know how, dont worry, we are here to help you. Here we have easy step-by-step tutorials on how to bake a potato in the oven that you can try at your own kitchen. Lets start now.

How to bake a potato in the oven: tutorial #1

Ingredients

• Russet potato. The number of the potato depends on how much the people you cook for. Ideally, one potato is for one person
• Pepper
• Salt
• Olive oil

Equipment

• A foil-covered baking sheet
• A fork

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 425 degree F while you are preparing the potatoes
• Scrub the potatoes under running water. Make sure they are clean then pat them dry. With a paring knife, trim any blemishes
• Next, rub the potatoes with olive oil. It is easier to do it with your hands but you can use a pastry brush if you want
• Sprinkle the potatoes with pepper and salt. Sprinkle on all their sides
• Prick the potatoes with a fork. Prick in a few places. This is important as this will allow the steam to escape from the baking potato later on
• Time to bake.  Now, it is time to bake the potatoes. Either bake them directly on the oven rack or place them a few inches apart on a foil-covered baking sheet. Whichever is okay. Bake the potatoes for about 50 to 60 minutes. Dont forget to flip the potatoes over every 20 minutes. Check their doneness by piercing them with a fork. They are done when their skins are dry and their insides are soft when pierced

Some tips: you can cut down the baking time by putting the potatoes in a microwave for about 3 to 4 minutes before baking them. Also, if you want softer skins, wrap the potatoes in foil, do this before baking them.

How to bake a potato in the oven: tutorial #2

Ingredients:

• Canola oil
• Kosher salt
• 1 large russet potato or more, depends on how many people you cook for

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F while you prepare the potato. Position racks in top and bottom thirds
• Wash the potato under running water with a stiff brush. Dry them. Then, with a fork, create holes all over the potato. 8 to 12 deep holes will suffice. This is done to let the moisture escape during  the cooking
• Next, put the potato in a bowl. Coat it lightly with oil
• Sprinkle the potato with salt then place it directly on rack in the middle of the oven. Dont forget to place a baking sheet on the lower rack, in case there is any dripping
• Bake the potato until its skin feels crisp but its flesh beneath feels soft, about an hour
• Create a dotted line on the potato, from end to end, using a fork.  Squeeze the ends towards one another to crack the potato open.
• Watch out for some steam

Note: If you cook more than 4 potatoes, extend the cooking time by up to 15 minutes

So thats how to bake a potato in the oven. Easy, isnt it? If you want to try our tutorials, here is a tip: use russet potato. Its not a must but there is a good reason why. Here is why: because it has starchy interior which has a fluffy texture and sweet flavor when baked and its skins are thicker. They are also typically larger. One of these potatoes per person makes a good side dish (or even a meal) on its own.