Wash the potatoes and slice each one in half.

Add the potatoes to a pot of cold water with the baking soda and 1-2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil.

Boil for 10-12 minutes, until a knife slides into the center with almost no resistance. You want them fully cooked but still holding their shape, not falling apart. Time will vary a bit with potato size.

Drain in a colander and let them sit for about 3 minutes. This lets the steam escape and the surfaces dry out, skip it and they'll steam instead of roast in the oven.

Once they've dried out a bit, toss them back into the (dry) pot, or into a bowl with a lid, and shake vigorously for about 20 seconds. The edges will rough up and get coated in a thick starchy paste, that's exactly what you want. It's what turns into the crackly crust.

Drizzle with the olive oil, then add the pepper, garlic powder, thyme, parsley, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Toss until evenly coated. Taste before adding more salt, the potatoes already picked some up from the boiling water.

Spread the potatoes cut-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Roast for 40-50 minutes, flipping halfway through, until deeply golden and crisp.

Pull from the oven and serve right away.