step 250 flavor can also be incorporated into the top coat solution to provide enhanced pretzel flavor characteristics after the top coat is applied the invention next involves an enrobed salt application step 260 enrobed salt is a fat encapsulated salt that is resistant to being dissolved by water vapor suitable enrobed salt is presently available from balchem corporation of slate hill n y this enrobed salt is topically applied after the baking step 240 in contrast to the traditional method of adding the salt prior to the baking step 140 because excess heat would melt the fat which encapsulates the salt thereby exposing the salt to the high moisture content of the pretzel instead the pretzel is exposed to a low temperature below 60 u00b0 c drying step 270 in order to finalize the product in preparation for the packaging step 280 returning to the dough mixing stage 200 flavoring can be included in the initial dough preparation in order to better simulate the flavor of a traditional soft pretzel typical food preservatives that might be used at the mixing stage 200 include calcium propanate ascorbic acid benzoic acid citric acid acidic acid sorbic acid lactic acid or numerous other food preservatives well known in the art the preservatives might also be used in combination with each other a suitable anti staling enzyme that can be including during dough preparation 200 is u201c fresh n enzyme u201d manufactured by enzyme development corporation of new york n y as an additional hurdle strategy the moisture content of the pretzel can be slightly lowered to 25 to 35 and consequently the water activity of the pretzel is reduced to approximately 0 85 this is accomplished by adjusting the initial dough formula using standard techniques well known in the.