This warm and inviting pull apart Dollywood Cinnamon Bread is tender and moist and absolutely irresistible. Inspired by the cinnamon bread from the famous theme park, this is a quick and easy no-knead recipe that always turns out prefect, even for the most inexperienced bakers.
Dollywood’s Cinnamon Bread
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is one of the top tourist destinations in our country. Nestled just on the edge of the Great Smokey Mountains, it has something for people of all ages. It’s also home of Dollywood, a Golden Ticket Award winning theme park that offers everything from thrilling roller coasters, dinner shows and performances, gorgeous Christmas decorations to some of the best Southern eats you’ve ever tasted.
The theme park food offered at Dollywood is nothing like you have ever tried! Whether it’s popular dishes like barbeque pork sandwiches from the Hickory House BBQ to the fried chicken on the buffet from Aunt Granny’s Restaurant, it’s impossible to leave this place hungry. Of all the food offerings there is one that stands out above all the rest. The park has an operating grist mill that makes the best cinnamon bread you’ve ever had, fondly called Dollywood Bread.
Even before you see the long line of people waiting to buy it, the mouth-watering aroma of those warm loaves of cinnamon bread draws you in and leads the way for you. Sounds pretty tempting, right? With this recipe, you can make that same fabulous bread right in your own kitchen.
This famous cinnamon bread is so incredibly soft and moist and has the most mouth-watering flavors of cinnamon in every single bite. It’s topped off with a delectable glaze that makes this bread recipe so irresistible, it’s almost impossible to eat just one slice! But then again, no one says you have to!
You can serve this glazed cinnamon bread for breakfast but it’s also great for dessert. A slice in the morning with a side of fresh fruit salsa and a cup of coffee just couldn’t get any better. Served as a dessert with a scoop of homemade ice cream is a delicious treat.
What’s Needed for this Dollywood Cinnamon Bread Recipe
For the Bread:
- Vegetable oil cooking spray
- Cinnamon
- Granulated sugar
- Frozen loaf bread dough
- Butter
For the Glaze:
- Powdered sugar, sifted
- Water or fresh lemon juice
Step One: Preparing the Bread
- Spray 8 1⁄2 by 4 1⁄2 by 2 1⁄2 -inch loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside. Line the pan with parchment paper so you can get the bread out easily.
- In a small baking dish or shallow dish like pie plate, mix cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
- With a sharp knife make 4 deep slashes horizontally in the top of the bread dough. These crosswise slits make it a pull apart bread like the ones known for at Dollywood.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the loaf with melted butter. Be generous with the butter, making sure the butter gets in all the crevices, deep cuts, sides and bottom of the bread. Dip it in the butter if that’s easier.
- Roll the loaf in the cinnamon-sugar mixture so the cinnamon mixture gets into the crevices.
- Place the loaf in the prepared loaf pan and set in a warm place and let the bread rise for 30 minutes.
Step Two: Bake the Bread
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Bake the bread for 25-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Step Three: Make the Glaze
- In a small bowl combine the confectioners’ sugar and water until the mixture is smooth.
Step Four: Glazing the Bread
Remove cinnamon bread from the pan and let cool on wire rack. Drizzle with glaze while it’s warm. Add more glaze once it’s cooled.
How To Store Glazed Cinnamon Bread?
- Countertop: You can store this bread room temperature wrapped in plastic wrap for 4-5 days.
- Fridge: Place leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week.
- Freezer: This is a great bread to freeze. For best results though, it would be better to glaze it right before serving. Double wrap unglazed bread in a double layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil and freeze for 2-3 months.
Can I Make Mini Loaves with this Recipe?
You sure can! Instead of making one large loaf, you can divide the dough into pieces and bake them in 3 5-inch loaf pans. Make sure each of the prepared pans are lined with parchment paper.
Some recipes also call for splitting the dough in half to make two loaves. You’ll get smaller portions, but just as good.
Tips for Making Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Bread
- Be sure an allow proper time for the dough to rise. If you bake it too soon, the bread will be too dense and cakey.
- For best results, allow a two-inch overhang of parchment paper on each end. This parchment overhang allows extra room for you to grab and lift the loaf out of the pan easily.
- If you want to add even more cinnamon flavor, you can add a little ground cinnamon in the glaze. You can also use milk to thin out the powdered sugar, but if you do, you’ll want to store the bread in the fridge.
- For really even baking, you may want to turn the loaf pan halfway through the baking time.
Want More Breakfast Recipes?
- Cinnamon Sugar Muffins
- Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
- Crescent Roll Cream Cheese Danish
- Grits Casserole
- Instant Pot Breakfast Recipes
- Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole
Dollywood Cinnamon Bread
Ingredients
For the bread:
- 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 lb. frozen bread dough, thawed
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter 1/2 stick, melted
For the glaze:
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar sifted
- 2 – 3 Tbsp water
Instructions
- Spray 8 1⁄2 by 4 1⁄2 by 2 1⁄2 -inch loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside. Line the pan with parchment so you can get the bread out easily.
- In a shallow dish, like a pie plate, mix the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
- Make 4 deep, horizontal slits in the top of the bread dough. This will give it if pull-part look it’s known for at Dollywood.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the loaf with melted butter. Be generous with the butter, making sure the butter gets in all the crevices, sides and bottom of the bread. Dip if in the butter if that’s easier.
- Roll the loaf in the cinnamon mixture so the cinnamon sugar mixture gets into the crevices.
- Place the loaf in the prepared loaf pan and set in a warm place and let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Bake the bread for 25-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
- Make the glaze. In a small bowl combine the powdered sugar and water until the mixture is smooth.
- Remove cinnamon bread from the pan and let cool on wire rack. Drizzle with glaze while it’s warm. Add more glaze once it’s cooled.
Nutrition
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