Pro Tip: Baking pretzels with alternative flours can increase protein levels and boost amino acid content.

In the ever-evolving snack food industry, pretzels maintain their iconic status, offering a blend of tradition and innovation. With their unique knot-like shape and crunchy texture, pretzels have been a favorite for generations. Recent advances in their production focus on enhancing both nutritional content and quality, aligning with the rising consumer interest in healthier snack options.

The base of traditional pretzel dough consists primarily of flour, water and salt. The quality of a pretzel heavily relies on the type of flour used; typically, soft red winter wheat flour with about 9% protein content is preferred. This type of flour is valued for its gluten-forming potential, which is crucial for achieving the optimal texture: elastic yet firm enough to produce a satisfying crunch.

Despite the prevalence of these traditional methods, there is a growing challenge to balance gluten and starch interactions within the dough. A good quality pretzel exhibits a balance where neither the gluten functionality nor the starch functionality is overly dominant. 

When the starch granules are not fully gelatinized, which is a desirable trait, it results in a product that has the ideal crispiness without being brittle (1).

In pursuit of enhancing pretzel quality, researchers are exploring the use of alternative flours. For instance, replacing traditional wheat flour with chickpea or sweet lupine powder at varying levels (up to 40% for chickpea and 20% for sweet lupine) has shown promising results.

These replacements not only enrich the pretzels with higher protein levels — chickpea and sweet lupine powders contain 28.45% and 26.05% protein, respectively — but also boost the essential amino acids content, like lysine, which is comparatively low in wheat.

These alterations have led to significant improvements in the sensory characteristics of pretzels, enhancing their flavor, crispness and overall consumer appeal (2).

Moreover, the incorporation of these alternative flours enhances the nutritional profile of pretzels, increasing their content of dietary fibers and essential minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and zinc.

Studies have shown that barley pretzels replaced with 20% sweet lupine powder resulted in a higher total essential amino acid content of 41.25 g/100 g protein, compared to control barley pretzels, which contained 41.86 g/100 g protein. 

Additionally, this approach significantly improves the pretzel’s biological value (BV) and protein efficiency ratio (PER), essential metrics for assessing protein quality in food products (2).

The nutritional upgrades also include an increase in antioxidant properties, with pretzels containing higher levels of total phenolic and flavonoid contents. This enhancement not only contributes to the health benefits but also impacts the longevity and freshness of the pretzels by inhibiting oxidative processes.

As consumer preferences shift toward snacks that support a healthy lifestyle without compromising taste, the pretzel industry is poised to meet these demands through innovative formulations and improved processing techniques.

The ongoing research and adaptation to consumer health trends are crucial for maintaining the pretzel’s place in both the national and global snack markets. With these advancements, pretzels not only continue to be a beloved snack but also a nutritious option that consumers can feel good about incorporating into their diets.

References:

1. Seetharaman, K., et al. (2004). "Pretzel Production and Quality Control." In: Bakery Products Science and Technology, Second Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
2. El-Gohery, S. S. (2020). "Quality Aspects for High Nutritional Value Pretzel." Current Science International, 9(4): 583-593. DOI: 10.36632/csi/2020.9.4.51.

Dr. Senay Simsek, serving as the department head, professor and dean’s chair in food science at Purdue University, possesses a background in cereal science, technology and wheat quality. Her goal is to foster collaboration between producers, scientists and food processors, optimizing research potential in this area.