Method for mechanical pretzel production

A device for producing pretzels, the device comprising:

• a pretzel shaping and looping device which receives a strand of dough via a feed mechanism, wherein the pretzel shaping and looping device has a shaping unit for gripping a central area of the strand of dough, the shaping unit including a plurality of shaping elements that are adjustable in height;
• a gripping unit for gripping ends of the strand of dough, having a plurality of grippers, wherein a distance between the gripping unit and the shaping unit is variable for stretching the strand of dough when the ends of the strand of dough are gripped by the grippers and the central area of the strand of dough is gripped by the shaping unit;
• and
• a control unit for controlling linear movement of either the gripping unit or the shaping unit for increasing and/or reducing the distance between the gripping unit and the shaping unit as well as for controlling rotation of the grippers carried out to execute looping movement for shaping the strand of dough to form a pretzel knot, wherein,
• by means of the control unit, the rotation of the grippers can be controlled at the same time as a linear movement of either the shaping unit or the gripping unit for stretching the strand of dough, wherein
• the control unit is configured to control a vertical adjustment device of the gripper unit so that upon initiation of the shaping of the pretzel knot, the ends of the strand of dough that are already under tension are crossed in such a way that a point of intersection of the ends of the strand of dough is no higher than or up to 10 mm higher than a projecting height of the shaping elements of the shaping unit above a dough supporting surface.