Continuous soft pretzel apparatus and method

A method of making soft pretzel sticks using a continuous production line, the method comprising:

• conveying a prepared dough through a sheeting line to form an evenly thick dough sheet;
• passing the dough sheet through one or more rollers to reduce dough sheet thickness to form a uniformly thinned dough sheet;
• cutting the uniformly thinned dough sheet into vertical dough strips using pastry cutting wheels such that creating the initial shapes needed for pretzel sticks;
• curling the vertical dough strips into spirals with a curling device comprising a torpedo-shaped roller, which forms a structure conducive to even proofing and baking;
• proofing the curled dough strips under controlled heat and humidity for 25 to 55 minutes, allowing the dough to rise and develop its characteristic structure;
• enrobing or spraying the dough strips with caustic soda to form a surface for the pretzel texture and color;
• cutting the caustic-soda-coated dough strips into dough bites using a cutting device, wherein the ends exposed by the cuts are untreated by the caustic soda, and
• baking the dough pieces to form soft pretzel sticks, wherein the unexposed ends create a lighter-colored portion resembling a buckeye effect due to the absence of a caustic soda reaction.