Pretzels are twisted. You know that. But do you know why? I don't but maybe there's some sweet logic in the rumor that they were invented by an Italian monk who named them piccola premi,(small rewards) or "pretiola" to reward children for prayers. Going on the theme of Italianesque I decided to make them with semola rimacinata in line with taralli, the Puglian cousin, poached and baked pretzel imbued with olive oil and different flavors of seeds or spice. Here I decided to keep the traditional laugabrezeln method, but change the profile with a semola rimacinata, a mix of semola and rye levain, and shape characteristics the classic twist.