Classic Baked Potatoes
The skin is the whole point, so the potatoes go straight on the bare rack and never near foil — steam trapped against the skin is what turns it leathery. Oil and salt the outside, and fluff the inside while it is still steaming.
Heat the oven to 425°F.
Prick each potato eight or ten times all over with a fork. The holes are steam vents, and a potato with nowhere to vent builds pressure under the skin until it splits.
Rub the olive oil over every surface of the potatoes, then season the skins all over with the salt and pepper. Oil is what crisps a skin; a dry one bakes leathery instead.
Set the potatoes straight on the oven rack, with a sheet pan on the rack below to catch drips. Bake until the skin is dry and crisp and a knife slides to the center without resistance. Don't wrap them in foil — it traps steam against the skin and softens the thing you spent an hour crisping.
Let them rest a few minutes, then split each one lengthwise and work the flesh with a fork until it is loose and steaming. Fluffing while hot is what keeps the inside from setting dense.
Divide the sour cream and the cheddar between the potatoes and serve while the skin is still crisp.
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