Alright, I’ll get a little nerdy here. Potatoes are full of starch—little granules that swell up when they get hot and wet. Boiling makes them plump up before they hit the dry oven air. This means they can’t dry out as fast.
When you skip the boil, the starch stays compact. The outside might get brown, but the inside stays firm. That’s why your wedges end up like tough breadsticks. For the record, nobody wants a tough breadstick.
So really, boiling first is like giving your potato a little spa bath before a hot yoga session. It relaxes, softens, and then gets a nice glow.
