Oh my. I just turned on Americas Test Kitchen and she made the best damm baked potato I have ever seen. I am posting this here for reference but you can bet your hoo-ha I will be doing it this way from now on!
Brine, 2Tbs Salt. ½ C water.
Poke a fork in the potato about 6-8 times and roll in the brine to "wet" it with the brine (they brined them for up to an hour and found that 3 seconds was all that was necessary).
Bake at 450° F for 45-60 minutes until internal temp is 205° F
Take out of oven and brush with vegetable oil. Not butter. Back in the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately cut and X to open them up. Don't let them sit.
Perfect crispy skin and fluffy inside.
Sofa King Awesome!
They made a topper that was 4 oz Goat cheese, 2 Tbs EVOO, 2 Tbs Parsley, 1 Tbs Shallots, ½ tsp Lemon zest. Season to taste with S&P.