How to Bake the Perfect Potato

Scrub 4 baking potatoes (8 to 10 oz. each) with a soft vegetable brush, and pat dry. Pierce each potato 3 to 4 times with a fork, and rub with butter or olive oil for a crisper skin. Roll in salt or sea salt, if desired. (Do not wrap in foil. This holds in moisture, causing a texture similar to a boiled potato.) Place potatoes directly on the oven rack, and bake at 450° for 1 hour and 10 minutes. If baking more than 4 potatoes, add 5 minutes to the bake time for every additional potato.

To serve steak house-style potatoes, pierce with the tines of fork in a X-pattern across tops. Using a pot holder, squeeze the bottom portions of baked potatoes in toward the center. The fluffy, hot potato will push through the perforated skin and yield a great opening ready and waiting for toppings.

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