The initial turn occurs halfway through the cooking time, allowing all the potatoes to come into contact with the hot pan, promoting even browning and a satisfying crunch.
The second flip should happen closer to the end of the cooking process to ensure that every side of the potato has the opportunity to become beautifully crisp and golden.
Multiple cut sides of each potato must touch the pan during the turns, which exposes different surfaces to direct heat, resulting in an even crunchy exterior.
The cooking time and the potatoes' ability to retain moisture control the creamy interior, resulting in the golden outer layer and soft center you would expect.