Dollywood cinnamon bread
Sweet, pull-apart cinnamon loaf inspired by Dollywood — enriched, tender dough layered with cinnamon sugar and finished with a glossy vanilla glaze.
This is my take on the famous Dollywood cinnamon bread: a rich, pull-apart loaf with layers of butter and cinnamon sugar and a shiny vanilla glaze. It’s showy enough for guests but simple enough for a weekend bake.
Make it for brunch, a cosy afternoon tea or to impress with minimal fuss — the trick is a soft enriched dough and neat stacking so every slice has gooey layers.
Ingredients
- 500 g strong white bread flour — for the dough
- 50 g caster sugar
- 10 g fine sea salt
- 5 g instant dried yeast
- 300 ml milk — warmed for the dough; a little reserved for egg wash/glaze
- 110 g unsalted butter — 60g softened for the dough; remaining melted for brushing and filling
- 2 large eggs — 1 in the dough, 1 for egg wash
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 150 g soft brown sugar — for the filling
- 10 g ground cinnamon — about 2 tablespoons, for the filling
- 150 g icing sugar — for the glaze
- 30 ml double cream — for the glaze
Equipment
- 23cm × 13cm loaf tin
- rolling pin
- stand mixer (optional)
- wire rack
- pastry brush
Instructions
Warm the milk to about 35–38°C (warm to the touch, not hot). Stir in the instant dried yeast and 1 teaspoon of the caster sugar; leave for 10 minutes until foamy.
In a large bowl combine strong white bread flour, the remaining caster sugar and fine sea salt. Make a well, add the foamy milk-yeast, 1 large beaten egg, vanilla extract and the 60g softened unsalted butter. Mix then knead by hand for 8–10 minutes (or 5–6 minutes in a stand mixer) until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film or a tea towel and leave in a warm place until doubled in size (about 60 minutes).
While the dough proves, mix the filling: combine soft brown sugar and ground cinnamon in a bowl. Melt about half of the remaining unsalted butter for brushing.
Turn the proved dough onto a floured surface and roll to a rectangle roughly 30 × 40cm. Brush generously with the melted unsalted butter, then scatter the cinnamon sugar evenly. Fold the rectangle in half lengthways, then using a sharp knife cut into eight equal strips. Stack the strips flat, one on top of the other, then place upright in a well-greased 23cm × 13cm loaf tin so the layered edges face upwards.
Cover the tin with a clean tea towel or cling film and leave to prove again in a warm place until the loaf has nearly doubled (about 45 minutes).
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional. Beat the remaining large egg with a splash of milk and brush the top of the loaf. Bake for 30–35 minutes until deep golden and cooked through (a skewer poked into the middle should come out clean). If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the last 10 minutes.
Remove the loaf from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Meanwhile whisk icing sugar with the double cream and a splash of milk to a pourable glaze. Drizzle the warm loaf with the glaze and allow to set for a few minutes before slicing.
Tips
- If your kitchen is cold, prove the dough in an oven switched off with the oven light on — consistent warmth makes a more reliable rise.
- For easy glazing, warm the double cream slightly before whisking into the icing sugar so it combines smoothly.
- You can prepare the shaped loaf, cover tightly and chill overnight in the tin; allow to come up to room temperature and complete the second prove before baking.
- To store, keep the cooled loaf in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze slices wrapped in foil for up to 1 month.
- When cutting the dough into strips, use a ruler or measuring guide for even slices to ensure the loaf stacks neatly and bakes evenly.
Substitutions
strong white bread flour → plain flour (same weight)
Noticeably differentunsalted butter → salted butter (same weight); reduce added fine sea salt to 4g
Stays closesoft brown sugar → demerara sugar (same weight)
Noticeably differentdouble cream → whole milk (use a little more, 40ml) for the glaze
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 444
- Calories
- 9 g
- Protein
- 75 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 37 g
- Sugar
- 314 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this the day before?
Yes — shape the loaf, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. Next day allow it to come to room temperature and complete the second prove before baking; add about 10–15 minutes to the bake time if still cold.
How do I know when the dough has proved enough?
For the first prove it should roughly double in size. For the second, it should rise to nearly fill the tin and feel springy — a gentle poke should slowly spring back.
Can I freeze the baked loaf?
You can freeze fully cooled slices wrapped individually in foil and reheated in the oven — they keep well for up to 1 month.
My top browns too quickly — what should I do?
Loosely tent the loaf with foil for the last 10–15 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning while the centre finishes cooking.
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