In a stand mixer, combine yeast, sugar, and half of the water. If using instant yeast, allow it to proof (sit) for 5 minutes. If using dry active yeast, allow the mixture to proof for 10-15 minutes until foamy.
Add in the remaining water, honey, salt, cubed butter, and 4 1/2 cups of flour. Turn the stand mixer on low and knead the dough for 3 minutes, gradually adding in 1/4 cup of flour until you use the entire 5 cups. (You may need to add a few extra tablespoons of flour depending on the moisture level of your environment.) Continue to knead for at least 5 minutes. The dough should be somewhat smooth and not too sticky.
Transfer the dough to a bowl greased with butter. Cover with plastic wrap that is also greased with butter and place in a warm, draft-free area (use the "proof" setting on your oven for best results). Leave the dough to rise for 45 minutes.
Once the dough has risen and doubled in size, pour it out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half and roll out each section into a rectangle, lightly pressing into it to remove air bubbles. Fold the two upper corners in towards the center, fold the top inward, and start rolling the dough into a loaf (see process photos of shaping the dough above).
Place the shaped dough into a loaf pan greased with butter. Cover with plastic wrap also greased with butter and allow it to rise in a warm place again for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap from the pans and bake the loaves for 30 minutes. Use a food thermometer to check if the internal temperature of the loaves has reached between 205-210 degrees, or check the loaves every 4 minutes after the 30-minute mark. Remove when the tops are golden.
Brush the tops of the warm loaves with butter to keep soft. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.