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Role of Water in Pretzel Dough Development and Final Product Quality

¹Assistant professor and graduate student, respectively, Department of Food Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802. ²Corresponding author. Phone: 814-865-5644. Fax: 814-863-6132. E-mail: Koushik@psu.edu ³Dept. of Botany, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong.

The relationship between flour quality or processing conditions and pretzel quality has not been extensively investigated. The objective of this study was to elucidate the role of water in pretzel dough development and the consequent impact on pretzel integrity. Control pretzel and pretzels made with lower or higher levels of added water in the dough were produced under standard processing conditions at Reading Bakery Systems' pilot plant in Robesonia, PA. Dough samples were evaluated for their appearance, moisture content, and extensibility and were viewed under a microscope to evaluate the gluten network. Pretzels before and after the kiln were evaluated for moisture content, pasting properties, and hardness and were viewed under a microscope to evaluate the extent of starch gelatinization. The structural and functional attributes of dough and pretzels were significantly different for the three treatments. The degrees of gluten development during mixing and starch gelatinization during baking were influenced by the levels of water added and consequently influenced pretzel quality. Pretzels made using low-water treatment were brittle due to a lack of gluten development in the dough and inadequate starch gelatinization during baking, while pretzels made using high water treatment were unacceptable due to extensive gelatinization and retrogradation of starch. Pretzel quality therefore appeared to be a function of appropriate gluten development and starch gelatinization in the product.