In a medium bowl, add the yeast, honey, and ½ cup of warm water around 110°F. Stir gently to combine then allow to sit as the yeast is activated, rises, and foams, around 5 minutes.
In a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add the flour and salt. Mix together. Then slowly add up to 1 cup of warm water (you may not need all of it) and mix until the dough comes together in a ball. If the dough is too sticky, gradually add more flour, a couple of tablespoons at a time, until the dough easly forms a ball and is not too sticky to the touch.
Lightly grease the inside of a large bowl with the olive oil. Transfer the dough ball into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and allow to rest and rise in a warm place until the dough doubles in size. This takes around 25 minutes.
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down on a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Then shape the loaves into flat rectangles. Working one at a time, fold in the top and bottom toward the middle. Seal the seam with your fingers. Then continue folding in the top and bottom toward the middle and sealing the seams until you get a French bread loaf that is about 12 inches long and about 2 inches wide. Repeat with the other dough.
Place bread loaves seam sides down onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rest and rise until about double in size, which takes around 25 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Once the the loaves have doubled in size and the oven is preheated, working quickly but carefully, remove the towel from the loaves and place the baking sheet in the middle rack. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack and quickly - but carefully! - place the ice cubes onto the lower baking sheet. Close the oven door immediately and allow to bake for 15 minutes, or until the tops and sides of the French bread loaves are a nice golden brown.
Notes
Important notes:
If your oven has a glass window in the oven door, cover it with a towel when you place the ice cubes onto the baking sheet just in case any stray ice leaps onto the window, which could cause the glass to shatter.
No matter how tempting it is, do NOT open the oven door while the bread is baking. Check on it by using the oven light.
You can sprinkle some cornmeal onto the parchment paper lining the baking sheet before the loaves go through their second rise, if you wish. This helps them not stick to the parchment paper, but also adds a nice crust to the bottom of the bread loaves when they bake. Totally optional, though.