Breakfast Baked Potato Recipe - Peas and Crayons (2024)

FAQs

Is 400 too hot for baked potatoes? ›

Potato baking temperatures range from 350˚ to 450˚F. The sweet spot seems to be at 400˚F, a temperature that cooks the potato all the way through and crisps the skin without singeing it.

Russet potatoes are arguably the best potatoes for baking, although they are also great for mashing and frying. The main reason thick-skinned Russet potatoes are perfect for baking and more is because they contain significant amounts of starch.

This process, which is called oxidation, happens because potatoes are a naturally starchy vegetable. And when exposed to oxygen, starches turn gray, brown, or even black. An oxidized potato is completely safe to eat. The process doesn't affect the flavor or texture of the vegetable.

Chefs put salt on the outside of their baked potatoes

The secret to achieving this is a hefty dose of salt. Steakhouse chefs cover their baked potatoes in salt before sticking them in the oven, often helping the crystals adhere with a generous coating of oil.

Wrapping a potato in foil prior to baking traps the potato's natural moisture, steaming instead of baking it. This results is a soggy baked potato, not the light fluffy Idaho Baker that most people prefer.

Visual signs: The potato skin will start to wrinkle when over cooked. The potato, when wrapped in foil or placed on the bottom of a pan will have a dark brown spot on the bottom, a sure sign of over cooking. Foil traps the moisture in the potato causing the skin to be wet and the inside flavorless or gummy.

From time to time, if potatoes are held in very warm conditions with little air, the tuber pith void can develop into a condition called blackheart, causing a decayed, black center. If you cut either condition away, you can still use the remaining healthy potato flesh.

Peeled potatoes left out by themselves at room temperature, on a refrigerator shelf or wrapped in foil or plastic wrap will still get dark overnight, so submerge them in a bowl of water, cover and refrigerate. Cubed peeled potatoes can sit in water overnight, but they need to be refrigerated.

Most recipes require soaking your raw, shredded potato in cold water to rinse off the excess starch, then squeezing every last bit of moisture out before tossing it in a pan.

After their own failed experiment at settling the prick or not-to-prick debate, they consulted a true potato expert: Brennan Smith, a faculty member of the School of Food Science at University of Idaho. "Yes, it's good to prick them," Smith told Food52. "It pokes holes in the skin, which allows steam to escape.

Why do restaurants put salt on the outside of baked potatoes? ›

Why is it common to salt the exterior of a baked potato? A: Chefs started doing this years ago to allow the salt to absorb or draw out the moisture of the potato while baking, which results in a dry, fluffy potato. They used to do something similar with prime rib, sometimes baking it over rock salt.

You should certainly rinse the potatoes — we prefer russets — to remove any dirt and debris. You can even give them a quick scrub with a vegetable brush. But you need to dry the spuds well after the bath. Excess moisture on the skin can seep into the potato during baking and cause soggy skins.

Potato plants can't withstand hard frost and plants wither and die once temperatures are consistently over 100 degrees. Additionally, potato plants fail to set many tubers when nighttime temperatures remain over 55 degree.

We recommend baking potatoes at 400 degrees F for about an hour. Smaller spuds might take a little less time, while larger baking potatoes over 1 pound might take a little more.

A hand-sized Russet potato (6-8oz) makes for a great side dish that takes 50-60 minutes to bake through at 425 degrees. Truly you can bake your potato anywhere between 350 and 450 degrees, adjusting baking time accordingly.

If you need to speed that up, bump it to 450°F for 45 minutes. (Note: Your baking time will vary depending on the size of your potato and how hot your oven runs.) But don't go hotter than that. There's no victory in cooking potatoes at a temp greater than 450°F.