Dollywood Cinnamon Bread
This famous Dollywood Cinnamon Bread is soft and fluffy on the inside with a buttery cinnamon-sugar crust and an irresistibly gooey caramelized bottom.
Prep
0
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- 2 tbsp light corn syrup
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 2 tbsp salted butter melted and cooled
- 6 tbsp salted butter melted
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 3-5 tbsp whole milk (45-75 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(6)
- 1 1/2 c bread flour
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 c granulated sugar
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 1/4 c light brown sugar packed
- 1 1/4 c powdered sugar
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- pinch salt
📦Other(1)
- 1/2 c warm water
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
380
Protein
4g
Carbs
60g
Fat
15g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Combine bread flour, yeast, sugar and salt to a bowl and whisk until combined.
- 2
To the bowl add warm water and melted butter. Mix until it starts to come together then knead on medium with a dough hook attachment if using a mixer or by hand for 8 minutes.
- 3
Transfer to a bowl that's been sprayed with cooking oil, cover tightly and put in warm place to rise for 90 minutes.
- 4
Remove the dough, punch it down, knead a few times by hand then form it into about a 7" log. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes while you make the topping.
- 5
For the topping, in a medium mixing bowl whisk together the granulated sugar, light brown sugar and cinnamon.
- 6
In a separate dish add melted butter and light corn syrup. Whisk together.
- 7
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and make sure the rack is in the middle of the oven.
- 8
Once the bread has risen and is nice and puffy, score the top. Make 5 deep slits evenly across the short side of the loaf.
- 9
Dip the loaf in the butter/corn syrup mixture, turning to coat in all the crevices. Then coat with the cinnamon sugar.
- 10
Place the loaf in a parchment lined 9x5 pan and dump any leftover butter/corn syrup and cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the bread.
- 11
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until internal temperature is 190 degrees.
- 12
While the bread bakes make the icing. Melt the butter, add salt and powdered sugar along with 3 tbsp of milk and stir until the lumps are gone.
- 13
Remove bread from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before pulling apart and devouring with the icing!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Proof your dough at 75-78°F for exactly 90 minutes because yeast fermentation peaks at this temperature range, producing optimal CO2 gas production without over-proofing and causing gluten collapse.timing75-78°F, 90 minutes
- ✓Score 5 slits at a 30-45° angle and 1/4" deep into the risen dough because this creates expansion channels that allow steam to escape predictably, preventing uncontrolled bursting and ensuring even cinnamon-sugar distribution into the bread.technique30-45° angle, 1/4" depth, 5 slits
- ✓Use a 1:1 ratio of granulated to brown sugar (1/2 cup to 1/4 cup packed) in your cinnamon topping because brown sugar's 3-4% molasses content adds hygroscopic properties that draw moisture from the dough's surface during baking, creating a caramelized crust.ingredient1:1 ratio, 3-4% molasses content
- ✓Cool your melted butter to 90-100°F before mixing into dough because adding butter hotter than 120°F will denature gluten-forming proteins and reduce dough elasticity by up to 30%, resulting in a dense crumb.ingredient90-100°F
- ✓Bake at 350°F on the middle oven rack for 25-30 minutes so the exterior reaches 200°F internal temperature while the center stays moist; this lower temperature allows cinnamon-sugar to caramelize (320°F) without scorching the bread exterior.timing350°F, 25-30 minutes, 200°F internal
Share this recipe
Prep
0
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Dollywood Cinnamon Bread
This famous Dollywood Cinnamon Bread is soft and fluffy on the inside with a buttery cinnamon-sugar crust and an irresistibly gooey caramelized bottom.
📝 Ingredients
🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- 2 tbsp light corn syrup
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 2 tbsp salted butter melted and cooled
- 6 tbsp salted butter melted
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 3-5 tbsp whole milk (45-75 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(6)
- 1 1/2 c bread flour
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 c granulated sugar
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 1/4 c light brown sugar packed
- 1 1/4 c powdered sugar
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- pinch salt
📦Other(1)
- 1/2 c warm water
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
380
Protein
4g
Carbs
60g
Fat
15g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Combine bread flour, yeast, sugar and salt to a bowl and whisk until combined.
- 2
To the bowl add warm water and melted butter. Mix until it starts to come together then knead on medium with a dough hook attachment if using a mixer or by hand for 8 minutes.
- 3
Transfer to a bowl that's been sprayed with cooking oil, cover tightly and put in warm place to rise for 90 minutes.
- 4
Remove the dough, punch it down, knead a few times by hand then form it into about a 7" log. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes while you make the topping.
- 5
For the topping, in a medium mixing bowl whisk together the granulated sugar, light brown sugar and cinnamon.
- 6
In a separate dish add melted butter and light corn syrup. Whisk together.
- 7
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and make sure the rack is in the middle of the oven.
- 8
Once the bread has risen and is nice and puffy, score the top. Make 5 deep slits evenly across the short side of the loaf.
- 9
Dip the loaf in the butter/corn syrup mixture, turning to coat in all the crevices. Then coat with the cinnamon sugar.
- 10
Place the loaf in a parchment lined 9x5 pan and dump any leftover butter/corn syrup and cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the bread.
- 11
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until internal temperature is 190 degrees.
- 12
While the bread bakes make the icing. Melt the butter, add salt and powdered sugar along with 3 tbsp of milk and stir until the lumps are gone.
- 13
Remove bread from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before pulling apart and devouring with the icing!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Proof your dough at 75-78°F for exactly 90 minutes because yeast fermentation peaks at this temperature range, producing optimal CO2 gas production without over-proofing and causing gluten collapse.timing75-78°F, 90 minutes
- ✓Score 5 slits at a 30-45° angle and 1/4" deep into the risen dough because this creates expansion channels that allow steam to escape predictably, preventing uncontrolled bursting and ensuring even cinnamon-sugar distribution into the bread.technique30-45° angle, 1/4" depth, 5 slits
- ✓Use a 1:1 ratio of granulated to brown sugar (1/2 cup to 1/4 cup packed) in your cinnamon topping because brown sugar's 3-4% molasses content adds hygroscopic properties that draw moisture from the dough's surface during baking, creating a caramelized crust.ingredient1:1 ratio, 3-4% molasses content
- ✓Cool your melted butter to 90-100°F before mixing into dough because adding butter hotter than 120°F will denature gluten-forming proteins and reduce dough elasticity by up to 30%, resulting in a dense crumb.ingredient90-100°F
- ✓Bake at 350°F on the middle oven rack for 25-30 minutes so the exterior reaches 200°F internal temperature while the center stays moist; this lower temperature allows cinnamon-sugar to caramelize (320°F) without scorching the bread exterior.timing350°F, 25-30 minutes, 200°F internal