Spray an 8 ½ X 4 ½ " loaf pan with cooking spray.

Whisk flour and yeast together in a bowl. Add 1 ¼ cups water and 2 Tbsps honey. Stir about 2 minutes til no dry flour remains. (You can do this in the mixer with the dough hook or by hand). Let dough rest about 10 minutes.

Add salt to the dough. Mixer: Knead on medium speed about 10 minutes til dough is smooth and elastic. Bread Machine: Refer to your manual and find a cycle that starts with 10 minute knead. Set timer and stop the cycle when the 10 minutes is up.

Remove dough and place on clean counter top. Form dough into a ball and stretch the outside down and under until the top is stretched and smooth.

With smooth side of dough down, shape the dough into a 6" square. Fold the far edge into the middle. Fold the edge nearest you into the middle to meet the other edge. Take the left edge and fold into the middle. Take the right edge and turn into the middle.

Roll the dough into an 8" log. Transfer dough to the prepared loaf pan. Spray the top with cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise in a warm place about 1 hour.

About 20 minutes before the dough finishes its rise heat 2 quarts of water in a dutch oven on stove top, Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a plate large enough to hold the loaf, spread with a clean tea towel.

When dough is done rising add the baking soda and remaining 2 Tbsps of honey to the boiling water. Carefully remove the dough from the loaf pan and slide it into the boiling water. It will float so only abut half the loaf is submerged. Boil 45 seconds on each side. Use slotted spatulas to turn the loaf and remove it after the second side is done.

Transfer the loaf to the plate with the tea towel. Pull the sides of the tea towel up to absorb the water on the outside of the loaf.

Respray the loaf pan with cooking spray. If you are making the Everything Bagel bread sprinkle 2 tablespoon of the seed topping around the bottom and edge of the loaf pan. Shake to evenly distribute.

Carefully put the dough back into the loaf pan. You may have to gently reshape it or smooth it out a bit. Slash the top of the loaf about 6 times. Brush the top with the egg wash. If you are making Everything Bagel bread sprinkle the remaining 4 tsps of seed topping.

Bake about 45 minutes. (Dough should reach 200 degrees internally.)

Allow bread to cool in the pan about 2 hours. Slice thinly and serve. Toast if desired.