Melt the sugar. Add the granulated sugar to a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously for 6 to 10 minutes, until the sugar fully melts and turns a rich amber color. It will clump up at first. Just keep stirring and it will melt into a smooth caramel!

Add the butter. Add the cubed, room temperature butter and keep stirring. The caramel will bubble up a LOT, and that's totally normal. Stir until the butter is completely melted in.

Add the cream. Slowly drizzle in the room temperature heavy cream while stirring. It will bubble up again. Keep stirring until the caramel is smooth and glossy.

Add the salt and cool. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the fine sea salt. Let the caramel cool to room temperature. You'll have about 1 cup, and you'll use ALL of it: ¼ cup in the batter, ¼ cup for the swirl, and ½ cup for the topping.

Preheat. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Make the crumbs. In a food processor or blender, pulse the pretzels, graham cracker crumbs, and sugar until finely ground, like sand.

Add the butter. Pour in the melted butter and pulse again until the mixture looks like wet sand.

Press and bake. Press the crust firmly and evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. The bottom of a measuring cup works GREAT for this. Bake for 10 minutes, then set it aside to cool while you make the filling.

Lower the oven. Lower the oven temperature to 325°F (160°C).

Beat the cream cheese. In a large bowl, beat the room temperature cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the sour cream and sugar. Add the sour cream and granulated sugar and beat until completely smooth.

Add the eggs and caramel. Turn the mixer to low. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until each one disappears. With the last egg, add the vanilla and ¼ cup of cooled salted caramel. Mix just until smooth. Don't overmix, because extra air leads to cracks.

Pour. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and smooth the top.

Swirl in the caramel. Dollop ¼ cup of room temperature caramel in small spoonfuls all over the top of the batter. Drag a butter knife or skewer through the dollops in figure eights to make pretty ribbons. Keep the swirls near the surface and don't overdo it. A few passes is all you need!

Set up the water bath (optional but recommended). For a crack-free cheesecake, wrap the outside of the springform pan in two layers of aluminum foil. Set it in a large roasting pan and pour in about an inch of hot water.

Bake. Bake at 325°F for 60 to 70 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly when you gently shake the pan.

Cool slowly. Turn off the oven, prop the door open slightly, and let the cheesecake cool inside for 1 hour. This slow cool helps prevent cracks.

Cool on the counter. Take the cheesecake out of the oven (and the water bath) and let it cool on the counter for another hour.

Chill. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for the BEST texture.

Pour on the caramel. Once the cheesecake is fully set and chilled, pour the remaining ½ cup of caramel over the top. If your caramel has been in the fridge, warm it for 10 to 15 seconds so it pours easily, but make sure it's not hot. Pour it into the center and spread it toward the edges with an offset spatula, letting a little drip down the sides if you like.

Set the topping. Pop the cheesecake back in the fridge for about 30 minutes so the caramel sets.

Garnish. Arrange the 12 whole pretzels around the edge so each slice gets one, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Slice and enjoy! Run a sharp knife under hot water, wipe it dry, and cut into 12 slices, wiping the knife between cuts for clean slices. ENJOY!