Copycat Dollywood Cinnamon Bread, glazed and ready to slice. (Image credit: DIY JOY)
Dollywood cinnamon bread is the whole reason people happily wait in line at the grist mill, where the park sells about 350 loaves an hour and mills the flour on site. This easy copycat leans on a loaf of frozen bread dough, so you can pull the same buttery, cinnamon sugar loaf out of your own oven without the drive to the Pigeon Forge.
If you’ve ever stood in that line, you know it’s not really about the bread. It’s about the smell: cinnamon and butter and warm sugar. I grew up on my mother’s country baking in Southeast Texas, so I have a soft spot for a loaf that doesn’t try to be fancy, and this one delivers. Here’s exactly how I make it, step by step, recipe card waiting at the bottom.
What you will need
Six simple ingredients, most of which you already have in your kitchen: a pound of frozen bread dough, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, salted butter, powdered sugar and a splash of milk for the glaze. That’s the whole list, and frozen dough is what makes this recipe so easy.
How to Make Dollywood Cinnamon Bread
Step 1: Mix cinnamon sugar
Start by whisking the granulated sugar and cinnamon together until they are evenly mixed. The cinnamon sugar mixed in and waiting makes the butter go faster, the messy part, and you want to move quickly once the butter turns.
Step 2: Thaw and cut the dough
Set the thawed loaf on your work surface and cut several deep slits in the top, stopping before you go all the way through. It’s the slits that allow the butter and cinnamon sugar to seep down into the loaf, which is the whole secret to that pull-apart texture.
Step 3: Butter, coat, and layer it in the pan
Brush the loaf generously with melted butter, working it well into each slit, then dust the whole thing with cinnamon sugar. Put it in a parchment lined loaf pan, sprinkle on any remaining cinnamon sugar, and let it rise in the oven preheated to 300 degrees for about 30 minutes. Don’t be shy with the butter. It’s what carries the cinnamon sugar into the bread and gives you those gooey edges.
Step 4: Bake, then mix and drizzle the glaze
Bake at 300 degrees for about 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through with a sheet pan on the bottom rack to catch any butter drippings. While it’s still warm, whisk the powdered sugar and milk together and pour it over the top. If you can manage to wait that long, let it cool a bit before you take it apart.
recipe
Dollywood Cinnamon Bread
A super easy copy of a grist mill favorite: frozen bread dough, cinnamon sugar, butter and a quick glaze. Makes 1 loaf, about 6 servings.
components
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 pound frozen bread dough, thawed
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk (or water or fresh lemon juice)
Instructions
- Spray a 9×5 inch loaf pan with baking spray. Whisk together granulated sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
- Set the thawed dough in a shallow dish and make 5 deep slits in the top, without cutting all the way through.
- Brush generously with melted butter, then press about a third of the cinnamon sugar over it and into the slits.
- Turn it over, butter that side and press into the other third. Flip once more, drizzle with butter, and add most of what’s left.
- Set the loaf cut side up in the pan, sprinkle over any remaining cinnamon sugar and moisten the top with the last of the butter.
- Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Bake for 40 minutes, turning halfway through, with a sheet pan underneath to catch the drippings. Cool 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack.
- Stir in the powdered sugar and milk and pour over the warm bread. Cool slightly before serving.
Prep 15 minutes · Cook 40 minutes · Cool 10 minutes · Total about 1 hour 5 minutes · Serves 6 · About 470 cal per serving (estimated).
How to serve it
Serve it warm, with the glaze still shiny. This Dollywood Cinnamon Bread works as both breakfast and dessert, so I whip it out in the morning with coffee or after dinner with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It fits right in with the rest of us Bread and Roll Recipes And ours Breakfast recipes. If you like stretch, try us Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread Next
Collect and make further
Keep leftovers wrapped at room temperature for up to five days, or freeze the loaf for up to three months. Reheat a slice in the microwave for about 15 seconds and it immediately returns to that fresh, soft texture. For another sweet bake, our dulce de leche cinnamon rolls A good next stop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Make Dollywood Cinnamon Bread Without Frozen Bread Dough?
Yes. Any basic homemade bread dough will work. A frozen loaf is just a shortcut, and the more buttery the dough, the better the result.
What can I use instead of glaze?
The cream cheese glaze is lovely here, or you can leave it out entirely. Bread from cinnamon sugar is plenty sweet on its own.
Is this breakfast or dessert?
Both. Coffee in the morning, ice cream at night. here is Official site of Dollywood If you are planning a trip to the grist mill.
