Baked Potato — Crisp Skin, Fluffy Interior

Ingredients

• 4 Russet Burbank potatoes, 225–280 g each; or King Edward, Maris Piper, or Kennebec if Russet unavailable
• 2 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil, enough to coat each potato in a thin film
• 20 g flaky salt, kosher salt or Maldon; applied generously to the oiled skin
• For the salt-crust variant (optional)
• 1 kg per potato coarse salt, to bury the potato entirely; bake at 205°C for 90 minutes
• To serve
• 60 g unsalted or salted butter, cut into pieces; to melt into the split interior
• 120 ml sour cream, brought to room temperature before service
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• to taste black pepper, freshly ground

Method

1. 1
   Heat the oven to 205°C. Place one rack in the centre of the oven for the potatoes; place a sheet pan on the rack directly below to catch drips. Do not line the upper rack — the potatoes must sit directly on the bars. Scrub each potato thoroughly under cold running water, then dry completely with a clean cloth. Any surface moisture remaining will steam rather than crisp the skin. The skin should feel dry to the touch before any oil is applied.
2. 2
   Rub each potato all over with a thin, even film of oil. Coat the oiled surface generously with flaky salt — the salt should adhere across the entire skin. Pierce each potato four to six times with a fork or paring knife, distributing the vents evenly. Place the potatoes directly on the centre oven rack, not touching one another, with clear air circulation on all sides.
3. 3
   Bake at 205°C for 60–75 minutes. At the 60-minute mark, put on an oven mitt and squeeze each potato firmly. A fully baked potato yields easily and completely under pressure with no firm core. If any resistance is felt, return to the oven for a further 10–15 minutes and test again. The skin should feel papery and taut — not soft or rubbery — and the aroma should be earthy and faintly sweet. A wet or starchy smell indicates the potato is undercooked. The internal target is 98°C; a probe thermometer confirms this where available.
4. 4
   This is where the dish lives or dies. Immediately upon removing the potatoes from the oven, cut a deep cross into the top of each, extending nearly to the corners. Place both hands at opposite ends of the potato and squeeze firmly inward — the starchy interior erupts upward into a rough, craggy mound with the maximum possible surface area. Do not slice the potato flat and press it open; that compresses the starch, destroys the fluffy texture, and reduces surface area by half. The squeeze is not optional. The interior, before any butter is added, should resemble dry mashed potato — airy, white, and shattered into starchy clouds.
5. 5
   Add butter immediately so it melts into every crevice of the erupted interior. Follow with sour cream, scallions, and black pepper as desired. Serve at once — the skin crisps and crackles audibly when pressed; that sound confirms the dish is at its peak.