Preheat oven to 425° F. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
To start making dough, mix warm water with yeast and stir well with spoon to rid any clumps. Mix in salt, sugar, and ¼ cup of the asiago cheese. Stir.
Once completely combined, add flour one cup at a time, stirring in btween, until the dough no longer feels sticky. Roll the dough into a smooth ball and begin to knead on a floured surface.
Cut the round ball in half with a sharp knife. Keep cutting in half until you have 12 total pieces.
Roll each round of dough out until it becomes a U shape. Twist the ends together and fold up to create pretzel shape. (Check out the video above for visual cues.)
In a large bowl, mix the hot water with baking soda. Dip each pretzel into liquid and place onto prepared cookie sheet.
Sprinkle each pretzel with as much (or as little) of the remaining asiago.
Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown.
In a small bowl with paper towel on top, melt butter. Add in garlic powder. Drizzle or brush the butter on top of each warm pretzel. Sprinkle with salt.