Baking Guide for Potatoes

There is no side dish more classic than a hot, steaming baked potato. A potato with small grains, such as a round red or white, will stay firm and waxy. But an russet variety, with large grains and high starch content, will cook to a characteristically light, fluffy texture. In addition, potatoes undergo less shrinkage than other potatoes, for improved yield and extended plate coverage.

Baked Potatoes can be topped with extras. Examples of topping include:

Mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green peppers, sprouts
Butter/margarine; parmesan, cottage, ricotta, blue and cheddar cheeses
Diced ham, ground beef, shredded chicken, crab chunks
Chili, pizza sauce, BBQ sauce, salsa, guacamole, salad dressings

Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice-baked potatoes are another way to make baked potatoes special. After baking, scoop out potato pulp and mix with your favorite mashed potato ingredients. Or create an entire meal by mixing with ham and cheese, chicken fajita or Thai beef.

Preparation

Always wash potatoes thoroughly to remove dirt, being careful not to break the skin. Pierce skin with a fork to prevent bursting in the oven. To prevent excessive shrinkage during holding, coat the skin lightly with vegetable oil and this will help the skin become crispy. Otherwise wrap the potato in foil before baking. Wrapping the potato with foil will result in a soft skin. A fork easily pierces a potato when done. If you use metal skewers for baking potatoes, heat the skewers first. This seals the potato and prevents the center of the potato from turning dark.

Follow these guidelines for oven baking:

	Convection Oven	Conventional Oven
Equipment	18" x 26 " Tray	18" x 26 " Tray
Cooking Temperature	375 degrees F	425 degrees F
Time to Cook	50 - 55 Minutes	55 - 60 Minutes

Micro waving can save time

Micro waving a potato before baking can reduce baking time by half. Follow the same preparation as above except do not wrap in foil before putting the potato in the microwave oven. Then microwave the potatoes for 5 to 10 minutes. After this coat with oil or wrap with foil as above and bake in a convection or conventional oven for half the time. The cooking time will vary, so check the potato if its soft before removing from the oven.

210 F is the internal temperature of a perfect baked potato. Wrapping a baked potato in foil will allow you to hold it up to 45 minutes. The best method for holding a baked potato is in a warming drawer. Second best is a heat-proof cabinet where foil-wrapped potatoes can be held for 45 minutes, but with an interior temperature loss of about 20 F.

Before serving a baked potato, use a fork to pierce the skin in the form of a cross. Do not cut with a knife, as this flattens the surface and prevents the potato from being fluffy. Open the potato just before serving by pressing the ends toward the center and lifting and fluffing the meat of the potato with a fork.

Weight Losses During Cooking

A potato will lose weight during cooking. Use the tables below to approximate cooking losses:

Potato Cooking Loses
Cooking Method
Microwave			Convection Oven Baked
Fresh Wt.	Cooked Wt.	Percent	Fresh Wt.	Cooked Wt.	Percent
oz.	oz.	Loss	oz.	oz.	Loss
7	5	29%	5.8	4.6	21%
10.5	9	14%	11.3	8.4	26%
21	19	10%	20	18	10%

	Average:	17%		Average:	19%

Cooking Method
Oven Baked (In Foil)			Oven Baked
Fresh Wt.	Cooked Wt.	Percent	Fresh Wt.	Cooked Wt.	Percent
oz.	oz.	Loss	oz.	oz.	Loss
7.5	6	20%	6	4.5	25%
11	10	9%	12	10	17%
20	19	5%	19	16	16%

	Average:	11%		Average:	19%