Baking

Appears in
Professional Cooking: 10th Edition
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2025

  • About
Preparing baked potatoes is a simple procedure that is widely misunderstood and therefore needlessly complicated. Properly baked potatoes are white, fluffy, mealy, and steamy, and they have a dry skin that crackles slightly when pressed. Poorly baked potatoes, unfortunately common, are gray and soggy and have a damp, soft skin.

Russet potatoes are most often used for baked potatoes. However, many varieties are now available, some of which are excellent for baking and yield different flavors and textures. Don’t be afraid to experiment with some of the varieties in listed.