Step 1 Heat the oven. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment, and if you happen to own a wire cooling rack, you can place it on top of the baking sheet for extra-even baking. (If not, no worries, you can just place the potato directly on the baking sheet.)
Step 2 Prep the sweet potato. Using a dinner fork or a small paring knife, poke the sweet potato evenly on all sides (about 10 times). Place the potato on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 3 Bake (round one). Bake for 30 minutes. Remove baking sheet from the oven.
Step 4 Brush with butter or oil (optional). If you would like your baked sweet potato to have extra-crispy skin*, use a pastry brush to brush it evenly with melted butter or oil. Sprinkle evenly with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Then place the sweet potato back on the baking sheet reverse-side-up, so that it can cook evenly on both sides.
Step 5 Bake (round two). Bake for an additional 20-30 minutes until the sweet potato is soft and cooked through. To check for doneness, carefully give the sweet potato a gentle squeeze with an oven mitt, and if the insides are soft and give easily under pressure, it is ready to be removed from the oven. If not, continue baking for 5-minute intervals until soft. (Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your sweet potato.)
Step 6 Cut the potato. Using a paring knife, slice halfway through the sweet potato lengthwise. Then give it a gentle squeeze to open.
Step 7 Serve. Serve immediately with your desired toppings.
