Prepare the Crust

Preheat the oven 350°F (176°C).

Pulverize the graham crackers into fine crumbs, then stir in the melted butter, sugar, and salt. Pour the mixture into a springform pan and even sides and corners.

Bake the crust for 8 minutes, remove it, and set it aside to cool.

Prepare the Filling

Turn the oven down to 325°F (160°C).

Add the cream cheese and sugar to a large bowl, and cream with a mixer it until smooth.

Pour in the vanilla extract, lemon juice, salt, and sour cream. Mix until incorporated and creamy.

Add the eggs one at a time. Only mix until it is incorporated.

Set the filling aside.

Prepare the Cheesecake and Water Bath

Wrap the bottom of your springform pan that contains the crust in one solid sheet of aluminum foil, folding the edges up the sides.

Bring a kettle of water to a boil.

Pour the filling into the prepared crust, and then place the foil-wrapped springform pan in your roasting pan.

Once your water is boiling, place the roasting pan with the cheesecake in your oven. Slowly pour the boiling water into the bottom of the roasting pan until it comes just 1-inch up the sides of the springform pan.

Carefully slide the oven rack back into place and close the oven door.

Bake the Cheesecake and Cool

Bake for 60 minutes at 325°F (160°C) and then check on the cheesecake, baking for up to 75 minutes if necessary. When it’s done, the center will look almost set.

After the cheesecake is done, remove the entire roasting pan from the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool in the water bath for another 45 minutes, then remove the pan from the water bath and the foil from the cheesecake.

Keeping the cheesecake in the springform pan, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill it in the refrigerator overnight. Once cool, you can remove the springform pan by sliding a knife around the edges and slowly unlatching the pan.

To serve it, unlatch the springform pan and gently remove it from the sides of the cheesecake.