Whisk together warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes to activate.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 4 cups of flour and salt.

Add the melted vegan butter and the activated yeast mixture to the flour. Mix until a dough ball forms, then knead for 5-7 minutes by hand or using a stand mixer with the hook attachment. Add extra flour as needed to prevent the dough from being too sticky, but it should still remain soft.

Lightly oil a bowl, form the dough into a ball, and place it inside, rolling it around to coat in oil.

Cover the bowl with a wet towel and let it sit for about an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 425°F and prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick, and cut it into approximately 3/4" x 1" pieces.

Boil 3 quarts of water in a large pot. Once boiling, carefully add the baking soda (be cautious as the water will rise quickly).

In small batches, add the pretzel bites to the boiling water. Boil for around 1 minute, flip, and boil for another minute. Remove and place the bites on the prepared baking sheet. Continue with the remaining pieces.

Brush each pretzel bite with melted vegan butter or oil and sprinkle with pretzel salt.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Melt the vegan butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Add the flour and whisk until fully combined.

Pour in the rice milk and whisk until smooth with no clumps. Stir in the garlic powder and salt.

Whisk in the vegan cheese until completely incorporated, then add the vegetable broth, stirring until the sauce is creamy.

Top with paprika, if desired. Serve by dipping the warm pretzels into the sauce!