“Love this so much! My family devoured it. Thank you for sharing.”
– Jason

Why You’ll Adore This Easy Dollywood Cinnamon Bread Recipe

This recipe isn’t just about recreating a theme park treat; it’s about bringing joy and a touch of homemade magic to your table with minimal fuss. Here’s why this version of Dollywood Cinnamon Bread will quickly become a cherished favorite:

• Effortlessly Simple: By utilizing frozen bread dough, we bypass the lengthy process of making dough from scratch. This significantly reduces prep time, making it achievable even on busy weekdays.
• Minimal Ingredients, Maximum Flavor: With just five core ingredients—sugar, cinnamon, frozen bread dough, butter, and milk for the glaze—you get an explosion of classic, comforting flavors that are perfectly balanced.
• Authentic Park Taste: Many fans of Dollywood claim this recipe tastes remarkably similar to the original, allowing you to relive those happy memories from the comfort of your kitchen.
• Incredible Texture: The combination of soft, fluffy bread, gooey cinnamon-sugar filling, and a sweet, smooth glaze creates a delightful textural experience with every bite.
• Versatile for Any Occasion: While it feels like a special indulgence, it’s simple enough for a weekend breakfast, impressive enough for a brunch spread, and makes a fantastic dessert or afternoon snack.
• A Guaranteed Crowd-Pleaser: This sweet bread has a universal appeal. It’s a treat that children and adults alike will eagerly devour, making it perfect for family gatherings or casual entertaining.

Frequently Asked Questions: Your Dollywood Cinnamon Bread Queries Answered

Essential Ingredients for Your Dollywood Cinnamon Bread

Gather Your 5 Simple Ingredients:

One of the beauties of this recipe is its simplicity. You only need a handful of common pantry staples to create this extraordinary treat.

• Granulated Sugar: This provides the primary sweetness and creates that delightful crystalline crunch within the cinnamon mixture.
• Ground Cinnamon: The star spice! Use fresh, high-quality ground cinnamon for the most aromatic and flavorful bread.
• Frozen Bread Dough: This is our secret shortcut. You’ll typically find it in the freezer aisle of your grocery store, often near other frozen breads and rolls. It usually comes in a plastic bag containing one or more loaves. Look for a standard 1-pound loaf. Thawing it properly is key to success.
• Salted Butter (Melted): We specifically recommend salted butter here. The hint of salt helps to balance out the intense sweetness from the sugar and glaze, creating a more complex and satisfying flavor profile. It also ensures a rich, moist texture.
• Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioners’ sugar, this fine sugar is essential for creating a smooth, pourable glaze that perfectly coats the warm bread.
• Milk: Used to thin out the powdered sugar for the glaze, creating a silky-smooth finish. Any type of milk (dairy or non-dairy) will work, depending on your preference.

Step-by-Step Guide: Crafting Your Dollywood Cinnamon Bread

Preparing the Dough and Cinnamon-Sugar Mix

1. **Prepare Your Pan:** Start by thoroughly spraying a 9×5-inch loaf pan with baking spray. This non-stick coating is crucial for easy removal of your finished bread. Set the prepared pan aside.
2. **Mix the Cinnamon Sugar:** In a medium-sized bowl, combine the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. Stir them together until they are well blended. This fragrant mixture is the heart of your cinnamon bread.
3. **Ready the Dough:** Place your thawed frozen bread dough into a shallow dish, such as a baking dish. While you could attempt to do this directly in the loaf pan, using a larger, shallow dish makes it significantly easier to ensure that the melted butter and cinnamon sugar mixture can penetrate deeply into every slit and crevice of the bread, guaranteeing maximum flavor in every bite.

Infusing the Cinnamon-Sugar Goodness

4. **Make the Slits:** Carefully make 5 deep slits across the top of the bread dough. The goal is to cut almost all the way through, but not entirely, creating pockets for the delicious filling without separating the loaf. These slits will ensure the cinnamon sugar is distributed throughout the bread.
5. **First Butter Brush:** Generously brush the top of the slitted bread with a portion of the melted salted butter. Be sure to work the butter down into the slits, coating as much surface area as possible. This butter not only adds flavor but helps the cinnamon sugar adhere.

6. **First Cinnamon Sugar Application:** Sprinkle about one-third of your cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the buttered bread, paying special attention to getting it into those deep slits. Gently pat the mixture into the dough to ensure it sticks.
7. **Flip and Repeat:** Carefully turn the bread over to expose the bottom. Generously brush this side with more melted butter. Then, sprinkle another third of the cinnamon sugar mixture onto this side, gently rubbing it in to coat thoroughly. Don’t worry too much about perfect order here; the main goal is to fully coat the entire loaf, including inside the slits.

8. **Final Coating:** Flip the bread one more time to have the original top facing up. Drizzle on the remaining melted butter, then sprinkle about half of the last third of cinnamon sugar over the top. Gently press it in.

9. **Into the Pan:** Carefully transfer the fully coated bread into your prepared 9×5-inch loaf pan, ensuring the cut side is facing upwards. Sprinkle any last remaining cinnamon sugar on top. Use any leftover melted butter to moisten the top, ensuring there are as few dry sugar spots as possible. This creates a beautiful, caramelized crust.

Rising and Baking to Golden Perfection

10. **Rise Time:** Cover the loaf pan loosely with plastic wrap and allow the bread to rise in a warm spot for about 30 minutes. This second rise is crucial for developing the bread’s fluffy texture. While it’s rising, preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).
11. **Bake the Bread:** Once the oven is preheated, remove the plastic wrap and carefully place the loaf pan into the oven. Bake for 40 minutes. To ensure even browning and baking, turn the pan 180 degrees halfway through the baking time. It’s a good idea to place a sheet tray on the bottom rack of your oven to catch any potential spills of melted butter and sugar, which can happen with such a rich bread.
12. **Cooling in Pan:** After baking, remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes. This allows the bread to firm up slightly and makes it easier to remove without tearing.
13. **Transfer to Wire Rack:** After 10 minutes, gently run a butter knife along the edges of the pan to loosen the bread. Carefully invert the pan to release the loaf, then place it on a wire rack to continue cooling.

The Signature Sweet Glaze

14. **Prepare the Glaze:** While the bread is still warm, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl until you achieve a smooth, pourable consistency. If it’s too thick, add a tiny bit more milk; if too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
15. **Glaze the Bread:** Generously pour the prepared glaze all over the warm bread, allowing it to drip down the sides and seep into the crevices. The warmth of the bread will help the glaze set perfectly.

16. **Serve and Enjoy:** Allow the glazed bread to cool slightly on the wire rack before slicing and serving. This short cooling period allows the glaze to set and the internal goodness to stabilize, making for a perfect slice. Try to wait patiently, though we understand it’s hard with such an enticing aroma!

Serving Suggestions and Variations

This Dollywood Cinnamon Bread is a masterpiece on its own, perfect with a hot cup of coffee or tea. However, it also offers a canvas for creativity! For an extra layer of texture and flavor, consider folding in a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts with the cinnamon sugar mixture. A sprinkle of mini chocolate chips before baking could turn it into a decadent dessert. And as mentioned in our FAQs, a rich cream cheese frosting or a warm caramel sauce would make for an even more indulgent experience. Don’t be afraid to experiment and make it your own!

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

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• Pumpkin Bread with Brown Sugar Glaze
• Easy Cinnamon Roll Quick Bread
• Apple Pie Bread
• Coconut Bread
• Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf Copycat
• Starbuck’s Cranberry Loaf Copycat
• Air Fryer Banana Bread
• Banana Pumpkin Bread
• Carrot Cake Loaf
• Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

Dollywood Cinnamon Bread

A super easy loaf of sweet bread featuring melted butter, cinnamon and sugar then topped with a quick sweet glaze!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars based on 2 reviews.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Cooling Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Brandie Skibinski

Ingredients

• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pound frozen bread dough, thawed
• 6 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoons milk

Instructions

1. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with baking spray and set aside.
2. Place ¾ cup granulated sugar and 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon in a medium bowl and stir to combine.
3. Place the 1 pound frozen bread dough, thawed into a shallow dish, like a baking dish. Note: you could try and do this right in the bread pan but I find it much easier to do it this way. I want to make sure that butter and cinnamon sugar can really get into each section.
4. Make 5 deep slits through the bread; try not to cut through the bread.
5. Generously brush with some of the 6 Tablespoons salted butter, melted (enough to coat the insides – you’ll use the rest for the topping.)
6. Add about ⅓ of the cinnamon sugar over the bread, concentrating on the slits. Pat it in.
7. Turn it over and again generously butter this side; use about ⅓ more of the cinnamon sugar on this side, rubbing it in. Note: you can do this in whatever order is easiest for you. The main thing is that you coat the bread thoroughly with the cinnamon sugar mixture and in between the slits.
8. Flip it over again, drizzle on top with more butter and about half of the remaining cinnamon sugar.
9. Place the bread cut side up into the baking dish.
10. Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon sugar on top. Moisten it with the remaining butter; you want as little dry sugar on top as possible.
11. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for 30 minutes.
12. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Bake the bread for 40 minutes, turning it 180° halfway through. Place a sheet tray on the bottom rack to catch any spills, if there are any.
13. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
14. Run a butter knife along the edge to help get the bread out. Place it on a wire rack.
15. While the bread is still warm, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 Tablespoons milk until smooth. Pour all over the warm bread.
16. Allow it to cool a bit before enjoying (if you can manage to wait that long!)

Video Tutorial

Notes

• Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.

Recipe Details

Course: Breads, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Nutritional Information (Estimate)

Calories: 473kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Sodium: 449mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 45g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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