Design Eat Repeat

0 In a large bowl, stir together [adjustable]warm water (1 ½ cups), active dry yeast (4 ½ teaspoons), light brown sugar (2 tablespoons), and melted salted butter (¼ cup, i.e. 4 tablespoons)[/adjustable]. You can get the warm water directly from the faucet - no need to heat it up more. Let sit for 10 minutes or until there's a layer of foam/bubbles on the top.*See notes below if your mixture doesn't foam or bubble.
2 Stir in the [adjustable]salt (½ teaspoon), and garlic powder (½ teaspoon) and gently mix. Add the all-purpose flour (4 ½ cups) [/adjustable]and stir with a spatula to until shaggy.
4 Once all the flour is roughly incorporated, use your hands to knead the dough into a solid ball. This should only take 1-2 minutes tops (any longer and you'll overwork the dough).
6 Place the dough ball back into the bowl, drizzle with olive oil (optional), and cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or a clean dish towel) and let sit for 10 minutes. This will allow the dough to rest & rise a tiny bit (it won't rise much, which is fine).
8 Using a knife, cut the dough into 8 even sections. Once cut, use your hands to roll each ball into a long strip about roll 1/2 inch thick and 24 inches long.
10 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
19 In a medium bowl, mix together[adjustable] 2 cups warm water and 2 tablespoons (not teaspoons) of baking soda.[/adjustable]
12 Dip each dough strip in the baking soda mixture for 1-2 seconds then quickly form into a pretzel and place on baking sheet. Poke the dough with your finger to create small imprints to hold the sauce.
14 Top with pizza sauce, cheese, and pepperoni (or desired toppings).
16 Bake at 400℉ for 12-14 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly golden brown.
18 Enjoy warm & dip in extra pizza sauce!