Izzy Bonecutter

Kerrisa Morphis
Celia Hale

Food Science Scientific Journal

Abstract
Throughout the experiment we compared two different soft pretzels, one made
with gluten free flour and one made with regular wheat flour. We wanted to see if simply
changing only the flour in the recipe would make a drastic difference in the outcome of
the pretzels. Rather than using two different recipes, one that was specially made for
gluten free cooking, we used a regular pretzel recipe. This significantly changed the
outcome of the gluten free pretzels, the gluten free recipes often used xanthan gum, a
food thickening agent, or brown sugar to also thicken the dough. Since we chose to make
pretzels without the adding of these ingredients, which can be very important to the taste
of gluten free food, we allowed the unfair advantage of the regular pretzels to be better
because gluten free flour does not have the natural baking dominances as regular flour
and the taste of the gluten free pretzels suffered.
The quality of the pretzels was also contributed to the fact that the gluten free
pretzels had a higher density, lower moisture content, and did not look nearly as
appetizing as the regular pretzels. In our attempt to see if the flour used in making
pretzels was a large contributor to the taste of them, we found that corresponding with the
beliefs of many, gluten free pretzels simply cant hold a candle to the deliciousness of a
regular soft pretzel. Like many gluten free foods, the gluten free pretzels were not as
good as the regular ones.

Introduction
Currently there is a strong fad of
making regular food into gluten free food. The
movement has grown to 44 million people
strong who have changed their ways of eating.
Gluten is a family of proteins found in grains
such as wheat, rye, spelt, barley, oats, and
corn that contributes to the elasticity and
chewy texture that gluten products commonly
have. The primary proteins in gluten are

There are so many gluten free flours

that have developed with the rising demand.
There is almond flour, rice flour, tapioca flour,
quinoa flour[5] and so many more. Despite
the abundance of gluten free options, flour
manufacturers have yet to discover a flour that
mirrors the taste wheat flour creates.
Here we discovered the debacle at the
root of our experiment. Can gluten free food

glutenin and gliadin; gliadin is the protein that

is most responsible for some of the
detrimental health effects[2] that we are
seeing as a result of eating absurd amounts of
gluten in ones diet. In the average American
consumes 10-40 grams of gluten per day[4]
and studies show that consuming 200 mg of
gluten was linked to the development of
Celiac disease. Whether the growing gluten
free movement comes from the desire to be
healthier or a change in a food paradigm, it is
clear that gluten free food is on the rise.
In response to this growing trend, we
decided to compare gluten free soft pretzels
with regular soft pretzels. Gluten free food is
often considered less tasty than food made
with gluten, we wanted to test if the flour used
in making the pretzels is a primary component
in taste.

taste as good as food with gluten? Through

this question we found three variables to
test(two qualitative, one quantitative), taste,
looks, density, and moisture content. We
expected that because gluten free flour is drier
and less accustomed to baking, the pretzels
made with regular flour will taste better, look
better, and have a higher measure of
moistness but a lower density. Through
changing only the type of flour, we expected
that the gluten free pretzels wouldnt measure
up to the regular pretzels for the reason that
gluten free recipes are often modified to
further support the taste that is being
attempted. However, in order to test
specifically the flour used, we used identical
recipes in order to understand what is the
major difference between gluten and gluten
free.

Methods
The variables that we tested were the
moisture content and density (quantitative)
and the appearance and taste (qualitative) of
two types of soft pretzels; one with gluten and
one gluten-free. In order to change the
pretzels from regular to gluten free we
changed the type of flour we used, regular
wheat flour and gluten free flour, which was a
mix of rice flours. We expected that changing
the flour used would most impact the taste and
moisture and density of the pretzel.
To keep the experiment accurate, all
variables except for the type of flour used,
were controlled. We controlled cooking time
and temperature of the oven, other

We measured moisture content using

the soil moisture sensor and for the measure
of taste we set up a blind taste test. We did not
let subjects know which pretzel had gluten
and which did not, we asked them which one
tasted the best and from there we obtained our
results. Doing a blind taste test was crucial to
receiving accurate results based on the fact
that there were no human influences on the
taste testers opinions.

components of the recipe, thickness of the

pretzel, cooling time, boiling time, and
storage method.
Results
First we performed the qualitative blind taste
test. We presented the two soft pretzels and
surveyed which one appeared better and
which one tasted better. Pretzel A was made
with regular wheat flour and pretzel B was
made with gluten free flour. 20% of people
rated pretzel A a 3/5 on appearance while 80%
rated it a 4/5. 40% of people thought that
pretzel B appeared a 2/5 and 20% thought that
it looked a 1/5.

After the 60% rated the taste of pretzel A a 3/5

20% rated it a 4/5 and 20% rated it a 5/5.
While 80% of people rated pretzel B 1/5 and
20% rated it 4/5. 100% of the test subjects
said that pretzel A was softer and 100% of
subjects agreed that pretzel A was the prefered
pretzel. In regards to appearance and taste, it
seemed clear that pretzel B was inferior to
pretzel A. The taste of pretzel B was dry and
crumbly, rather than soft and chewy like
pretzel A.

We then conducted two quantitative tests, testing the % moisture with the soil moisture sensor
and testing the density using water displacement and a measurement of mass. Although the
numbers were slightly varied, we found that the gluten free pretzels had a lower moisture content
and a higher density than their gluten counterparts.
Quantitative Results

Gluten Present

Gluten Free

Moisture pretzel #1

21.80%

19.30%

Density pretzel #1

4.1g/mL

7.3g/mL

Moisture pretzel #2

22.10%

16.40%

Density pretzel #2

2.1g/mL

8.1g/mL

Discussion

After completing this experiment we found results that were very similar to our
hypothesis. We believed that the gluten free pretzels would have a lower % moisture content, a
higher density, and they would look and taste worse than the pretzels made with regular flour.
Thinking about these results logically, our hypothesis makes sense, drier flour will lead to a drier
pretzel which will lead to a lower moisture level and the lack of elasticity in the gluten free flour
will lead to a denser pretzel.
Making 40 pretzels exactly the same was very difficult, but without making the pretzels
as similar as we could, we created errors in the results. If we added more egg to the top, more
salt, more butter, more cheese, these things all slightly skewed the results of the survey because
not all pretzels tasted the same. When we presented the subjects with the two pretzels, gluten free
was clearly different, even the look can create an unwanted bias to the opinion of the testers. In
order to fix this, we should have blindfolded the people so that the test would have been purely
based on taste. However, even with this technique there would still have been a clear winner in
taste.
Conclusion
Although it is disappointing for many people who have hoped that they can find delicious
gluten free alternatives to their favorite foods, when it comes to baking soft pretzels gluten free
flour does not create a taste that one can enjoy without adding other special ingredients. We
learned that since gluten free flour is dry and grainy, it takes a lot more than a regular pretzel
recipe to create the chewy, delicious, soft pretzel taste that one is looking for and no amount of
cheese or butter will cover that up. Gluten free flour can simply not compete with regular wheat
flour. The texture of gluten free flour is often gritty and grainy because it can be made with nuts
and rice, this can cause the product to be crumbly and dry (like our pretzels) and the flavors of
the gluten free flour can be nutty or sweeter than normal flour. Rather than trying to imitate an
already gluten filled product, create a new taste, equally as good, just different. When you make
a food gluten free the taste will change, use recipes that are specialized for gluten free cooking
rather than a normal recipe.
Gluten free recipes may add other ingredients that are meant to make gluten free food
taste better. This is where, in the future we may be able to create a more fair trial of gluten free
flour. Whether we could add xanthan gum, molasses, brown sugar, or honey, there are definitely
ingredients one can include to make gluten free products share more properties with regular
products. Gluten free flour is less cohesive, more crumbly, and harder to create a fluffy light
pastry, so naturally the baking advantage would go to regular wheat flour. The ability for gluten
to create the elastic chewy texture is the major difference between the two flours which is why
gluten free recipes strive to create a gluten-like effect.

References
Adams, Scott. "How Much Gluten Is in a Normal Diet, and How Much Does It Take to
Cause Damage in a Celiac?* - Celiac.com." How Much Gluten Is in a Normal Diet, and
How Much Does It Take to Cause Damage in a Celiac?* - Celiac.com. N.p., 26 July
1996. Web. 23 May 2016. [4]
Bjarnadottir, Adda. "What Is Gluten, and Why Is It Bad For Some People?" RSS 20. N.p.,
04 Feb. 2016. Web. 23 May 2016. [2]
"Gluten Free Alternative Flours Explained -." N.p., 29 May 2008. Web. 23 May 2016. [5]
"Gluten-Free Market Trends." The GlutenFree Agency. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2016. [1]