how long to cook baked potatoes in the oven
1 Bake the potatoes: You can bake the potatoes directly on the oven rack, or you can place them a few inches apart on a foil-lined baking sheet. 2  Bake the potatoes for 50 to 60 minutes.3  Flip them over every 20 minutes or so and check them for doneness by piercing them with a fork. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper: Generously sprinkle the potatoes on all sides with salt and pepper. 2  Prick all over with a fork: Prick the potatoes in a few places with the tines of a fork. 3  This allows steam to escape from the baking potato.