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To make the dough: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the dough hook, combine all of the dough ingredients except the diced jalapeños and knead for 6 to 8 minutes on medium speed, until the dough is smooth, soft, and elastic.
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Add the diced jalapeños and continue to knead until the jalapeños are evenly distributed, 2 to 3 minutes. The dough will become a bit more slack; this is OK.
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Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and set it in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
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Preheat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the center. Line a large baking sheet (a half-sheet pan works well here) with parchment. Clear a four-foot portion of workspace; you will need a large, clean area to roll the strands of dough for the giant pretzels.
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To make the water bath: Just before you are ready to shape the pretzels, combine the boiling water and baking soda in an 8" square pan or a dish of similar size. Stir until the soda is mostly dissolved and set aside to cool to lukewarm, about 10 to 15 minutes.
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To shape the pretzels: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, deflate, and divide in half, about 450g each.
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Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape the dough into a rough rectangle with one of the long edges facing you. Starting at the bottom of the rectangle, roll the dough toward the top, as if you were rolling up cinnamon rolls, forming a tube.
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Place your hands in the center of the tube and start rolling the dough back and forth on the surface to elongate the tube. Work your way toward the ends, stretching and lengthening the dough until it is between about 3 1/2' to 4' (42" to 48"). Repeat with the second piece of dough.
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Let the dough rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
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Working with one piece of dough at a time, twist to form a pretzel shape.
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Holding the pretzel from the bottom to maintain the shape, gently but swiftly place it in the pan with the water bath and let it soak for 1 minute. Flip the pretzel over and allow the other side to soak for 1 minute, then carefully transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to expand and reshape into a neat pretzel, covering about half the baking sheet; aim for about 8" to 9" wide and 7" to 8" tall. Repeat the shaping and water bath process with the remaining piece of dough.
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Brush the egg wash over the shaped pretzels and sprinkle with salt.
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Bake the giant pretzels for 20 to 24 minutes, rotating halfway through baking, until golden brown. If the pretzels are becoming too dark, tent with foil for the last 5 minutes.
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Remove from the oven and cool the pretzels directly on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to continue cooling. Meanwhile, prepare the cheese sauce.
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To make the cheese sauce: In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and quickly whisk to form a roux, cooking for about 30 seconds.
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Add the milk and whisk briefly until smooth. Lower the heat to medium and add the cheese, chili powder, and salt, stirring until smooth. Cook the cheese sauce, stirring frequently, until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes; it should reach a slow simmer at the edges of the pan. Serve warm alongside the pretzels.
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Storage information: Store any leftover giant pretzels, well-wrapped, at room temperature for up to 3 days; freeze for longer storage. Refrigerate any leftover cheese sauce for up to 1 week.
