In the bowl of an electric mixer (or a large bowl if doing by hand), combine warm water (should feel like gentle baby bath water), yeast, and honey. If you're using active dry yeast, let it sit for about 8 minutes for it to activate and get foamy. If you're using instant yeast, proceed to the next step.
Add about 3 cups of the flour, salt, and oil/butter. Mix together on low until combined.
Slowly add remaining flour. You will know when you've added enough flour when the dough is smooth and tacky. If it feels very wet and sticky, add a bit more flour at a time. If it feels real dense and tough, you may have added too much. If you do, you can add a splash of warm water to help moisten the dough again. You're looking for that sweet spot in the middle!
Knead on low for 8 minutes with a mixer (or 10 minutes by hand).
Cover the dough and let it rise for 30-60 minutes until the dough is doubled in size. (If short on time, you can skip this first rise)
Once risen, gently flour a work surface and divide the dough into 2 even sections.
Form each section into a thick rectangle. Starting from the long side roll the dough into a log about 12-14" long. Fold the ends in and pinch the seams. Flip it over so it's seam side down and you should have a nice smooth top.
Place each of the loaves on a half sheet baking pan lined with parchment paper. Let it rise one more time for about 30 minutes, until puffy. While rising, preheat the oven to 350°F (you can also do 375℉ for high altitude). Prepare an egg wash by whisking together one egg with one tbsp of water. Use a pastry brush to gently brush the egg wash onto each ball. Using a sharp knife or bread lame, cut several slits at an angle at the top of your loaves. Immediately stick in the oven after applying egg wash. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Let the bread cool before cutting into the bread. Enjoy!