If you have ever been to Dollywood, you have probably walked through Craftsman Valley and smelled a delicious pastry baking. There’s a treat everyone raves about, and you don’t want to miss out on it when you visit this theme park: Dollywood cinnamon bread. If you find yourself at home wishing you could have some of this bread, now you can! Keep reading to find out how to make the famous Dollywood cinnamon bread at home:
Dollywood Grist Mill
Before we share the recipe with you, we want to talk a little bit more about The Grist Mill where this bread is prepared fresh every day. Dollywood is themed after the Smoky Mountains, and there are still quite a few operational grist mills in the national park. When the park was expanding in the 1980s, they decided to add a grist mill to Craftsman Valley. Blacksmiths in the park created the door hinges and other iron parts of the building, while glass blowers made the windows. Dollywood wanted this grist mill to look and feel like it was built in the pioneer days, so they didn’t use any new technology to build The Grist Mill. They built it exactly how the pioneers would have.
This mill is actually operational. Flour and cornmeal are ground by the mill every day and used by bakers and chefs throughout the park. The flour used to make the Dollywood cinnamon bread is ground at the mill. As soon as you walk past the mill, you’ll be able to smell the bread baking. When you walk in to get your bread, you will see a display of the bread and other baked goods. You can actually get a glaze or apple butter to eat with your bread.
The Dollywood Cinnamon Bread Recipe
Just talking about this delicious treat will make you want to bake! Here is the recipe for the famous Dollywood cinnamon bread:
Ingredients for the Bread
- Vegetable oil cooking spray
- 1⁄2 cup sugar
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 (1-pound) loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
Ingredients for the Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water or fresh lemon juice
Instructions
1. Coat two loaf pans with vegetable oil cooking spray.
2. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish and set aside.
3. Cut the dough lengthwise into two pieces. Make 4 crosswise slits in each piece, taking care not to cut all the way through. Brush the loaves all over with butter, making sure to cover the creases.
4. Roll each loaf in the cinnamon mixture, packing the cinnamon into the creases with your hands.
5. Place the loaves in the prepared pans and set aside in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes. While the bread is rising, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
6. Bake the bread for 35 minutes, or until the top is golden and a tap on the bottom of the pan yields a hollow sound. Turn the pans around once during baking.
7. While the bread is baking, make the glaze. In a small bowl, vigorously stir together the powdered sugar and water until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Turn the breads out onto a rack while they’re still warm and drizzle with the glaze.
Once you’re back in town to visit Dollywood, check out these famous foods you should try!
Now you know how to make this treat when you’re at home wishing you were at Dollywood. Are you thinking about planning your next trip to Dollywood and Pigeon Forge? Check out our Pigeon Forge hotel rooms and start planning your next vacation!
