Is the added salt really required for the crust, considering the pretzels likely have a lot of salt on them?o lot

That's a great question, Lisle. I think it depends on how salty your pretzels are. Some have a lot of big chunks of salt on them, others have less. I'd be inclined to leave it out the first time, especially if the pretzels seem salty when you bite into them. Some people like very salty things, but others don't. It's hard for me to imagine that the crust won't be good without the added salt.

That said, let's hope the recipe creator weighs in. They may have tried it both ways. Perhaps. they could let us know, too, what brand / style of pretzels they used.

Either way, let us know please what you do, and how it turns out! ;o)