Easy Chocolate Chip Pretzels (Schokobrezeln)

In the bowl of a standmixer, combine all ingredients (except chocolate chips) for the dough and knead for 10 minutes on the medium-low setting. Add in chocolate chips, and knead on low for 30 more seconds.

Cover the bowl and allow to rest in a warm spot until doubled in size, about one hour. Transfer the dough in the fridge and allow to rest and cool overnight or at least 2 hours, so that your chocolate chips won't melt.

Divide the dough up into 8 equal pieces (best to use a kitchen scale, but you can eyeball it).

Shape pretzels with flour, let rest - on parchment paper and loosely covered with a clean linen towel - for 30 minutes before brushing with lye solution or egg wash. Sprinkle with salt (I used grey celtic sea salt - so good!) if brushing with lye solution.

If not dipping in lye, prepare an egg wash of one yolk and equal amounts of water, then brush onto the pretzels before baking.

Preheat oven to 355 Fahrenheit on the convection setting (180 Celsius) and put a small bowl of water on the bottom rack.  Bake for 15 minutes (remove water bowl after 4 minutes).

Best enjoyed right out of the oven (and definitely the same day - you did something wrong if they last past the first day!). If reheating the next day, run some water over the each pretzel and bake for 6 to 8 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit.