This method will make potatoes easy to mash and provide a convenient way to cook other dishes on the stovetop with the potatoes in the oven. After cleaning and piercing holes in the potatoes, place them on a foil-covered baking sheet, put them in the oven at 425 degrees F, and bake typically for around 65 to 75 minutes until soft (per approximately 4 lbs. of potatoes), per Bon Appetit.