Martha Stewart Swears By This Strange Trick For Perfect Baked Potatoes

There is so much to love about baked potatoes. From the crispy skins to the fluffy interior, baked potatoes are delicious with any toppings you choose. However, making the best baked potatoes can be incredibly time-consuming. The way The Kitchn suggests making the ultimate baked potato even involves cooking them for more than two hours. But the longer prep time can certainly help make your baked potato even fluffier.

The Kitchn advises you slice a longer cross-shaped cut before baking them, so even more steam can be released from the inside of the potato. Ultimately, it's the combination of the bigger cut and the longer bake time that can make baked potatoes fluffier. Of course, Martha Stewart has the perfect hack for upping the fluff factor if you don't have the time for two-hour potatoes. With Stewart's tip, you can have soft potatoes in no time at all after pulling them from the oven — no matter how long you bake them.

To make her baked potatoes even fluffier on the inside after cooking them, Stewart simply smashes them a little (via Martha Stewart). Once the potatoes come out of the oven, the celebrity cook uses a clean kitchen towel to protect her hand from being burned as she picks them up. Then Stewart slams the potatoes down on the counter top to help loosen up the inside of the potato for a softer texture.

Naturally, once the potatoes have been prepped and served, all that's left is to finish them off with all kinds of delicious toppings. For a creamy flavor stirred into the fluffy texture, add a dollop of butter or sour cream. From there, you can add all kinds of things like different flavors of cheese, herbs and more. Stewart even suggests trying broccoli stuffed inside a baked potato with cheddar. So, get creative and make sure all of your baked potatoes are exactly as fluffy as you'd like.