From Our State’s A Taste of Our State series. Click here to read or listen to contributor Sheri Castle’s column from the January 2025 issue.

An oven can’t replicate the smoke, smolder, and wonderment of a good campfire, but it can yield delicious baked potatoes with crisp, well-seasoned skins and fluffy interiors. It might seem fussy to write a recipe, but the glory is in the details of this method. Each simple step matters. Serve them straight from the oven, crowned with whatever toppings excite you. My favorite potato toppings are copious amounts of butter, sour cream, crunchy garnishing salt, and cracked pepper.

Yield: 4 servings.

4 large russet potatoes of similar size and shape
½ cup warm tap water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 to 2 tablespoons oil

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 450°. Meanwhile, rest a wire rack inside a baking sheet.

Rub each potato with your hands under cool running water to remove any surface dirt. If necessary, use a dishcloth to loosen excess dirt. Blot potatoes dry and pierce them in several places with a fork.

In a medium bowl, stir together water and salt until salt dissolves. Dip each potato in brine to wet completely. Transfer to wire rack, spacing them evenly.

Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the potato centers registers 205°, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove potatoes from oven and brush outsides with oil. Return them to oven for 10 minutes to crisp skins.

Remove potatoes from oven and cut an “X” in the top of each with the tip of a knife. Using a towel, gently press the ends of each potato toward the middle so they open. Serve at once, seasoned and garnished to your liking.