Dollywood Cinnamon Bread is a classic among theme park and Dolly fans, and since I’m both, I had to recreate it! The cinnamon roll you buy at Dollywood isn’t baked in a cast-iron skillet. Still, since Dolly is a proper Southerner and my Lodge cast-iron skillet reminds me especially of the South, I figured this recipe needed to be made in one. Of course, you can make it in another skillet, but I recommend using a cast-iron skillet for the best texture and baking results.
When you think of, I want you to picture golden cinnamon filling inside ripples of soft, fluffy bread. Tha secret to what makes cinnamon bread so singular is that gooey mess that fills the bottom of the pan it’s served in at Dollywood, so don’t worry; we’ve got you covered with this recipe! I use a little cinnamon filling and spoon it into the bottom of the cast iron pan before adding the dough, so I guarantee gooey cinnamon in every bite. However, I could go on and on about the details, but I’m sure you want to know how to make it. So let’s get started!
Ingredients you need to make the Dollywood Cinnamon Bread
The formula comprises three key elements: dough, filling, and frosting. Although Dollywood serves it with apple butter or frosting, I used just the frosting here to keep things simple. Here are the ingredients you’ll need for each part of the recipe!
FOR THE DOUGH
- 12 grams active dry yeast, four teaspoons
- 165 grams warm water, 80-95°F (27-35°C), a little more than 2/3 cup
- 375 grams all-purpose dredge, 2 2/3 cups
- 5 grams Diamond Crystal kosher salt, two teaspoons
- 55 grams granulated sugar, 1/4 cup
- 1 medium egg
- 57 grammes unsalted butter, softened, 1/4 cup
THE FILLING
- 8 ounces salted butter, 1 cup
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 4 grains dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup, lightly packed
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
THE ICING
- 90g caster sugar, 3/4 cup, lightly packed
- 1 tablespoon milk of your choice
How to prepare the brown butter stodgy
- Dolly Parton is the queen of all effects butter, so it makes sense that this cinnamon bread filling is heavy preceding the butter, too! Now, the gadget is special because we are browning the butter first. This gives a satisfying, Dollywood Cinnamon Bread
- extra note of nutty, toasty flavour—like a toasted marshmallow effect. A marshmallow is good without it, but when it’s toasted, it’s significantly better. Browning the butter has a similar impact on this filling.
- First, brown the butter in a cast-iron skillet. This will provide a nice buttery base for the rolls and reduce the number of dishes.
- Once the butter is browned, transfer it to a heatproof bowl and whisk in the cinnamon. This will cause it to bloom and impart a richer flavour. Then, whisk in the sugar. The mixture will thicken as it sits.
How to shape and fill the cinnamon bread dough
The best thing about this dough is that it’s virtually impossible to mess up. Even if it tears, you stretch it a bit, or the filling leaks out, it’s still pretty fluffy, airy, and delicious. Plus, unlike regular cinnamon rolls, you don’t have to measure or stretch them into perfect pieces. Oddly shaped pieces work, too!
I like to turn the dough onto an ungreased surface and stretch it into a large rectangle with my hands. (See photo.) Ensure the longest edge of the rectangle is positioned closest to you.
Then, spread 2/3 cup of the stodgy evenly over the dough and fold the short edges of the rectangle toward the centre until they touch.
Then, cut the dough along the long edge of the rectangle and slice it into 1-inch-thick strips.
And finally (since you’ve come this far!), fold the strips in half and place them in a cast-iron skillet. Below, you can see an idea of what they should look like. Cute, right?
Then let this Dollywood cinnamon roll rest for another hour or until it becomes fluffier, as shown in the picture below.
What can I bake this in besides a cast-iron skillet?
Great question! You don’t need a cast-iron skillet for this to work! I recommend a 9-inch pie pan, muffin tin, or baking dish as good alternatives. Increase the baking time by 4-5 minutes for optimal results.
How to top the Dollywood Cinnamon Bread
So, you’ve used the satisfying for the bottom of the pot, cast it to seal the cinnamon bread, and now you have to use it to top the bread as well!
At this point, the rolls will be quite fluffy, so be very careful when spreading the remaining filling. I like to use a spatula to gently spread it on top.
The best thing about this is that the filling on top forms a nice crust, while the filling on the bottom forms a sticky dough. It’s a beautiful skin of tears!
Tips & tricks for how to make this cinnamon bread ahead of time
The dough is to be completed ahead; Dollywood Cinnamon Bread let it rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours instead of 1 hour at room temperature. After that, you can make the filling and frosting and store them. Keep the filling in the refrigerator and the frosting at room temperature. However, you will have to save time the next day for assembly, a second rest, and baking, which saves you half the prep time. Still, it’s a good option if you want a fresh cinnamon roll when you’re short on time.
If you want to make these gains for a gathering or brunch, I’d recommend prepping them completely beforehand, all the way to the finished baking. Just leave off the frosting. Let it cool to room infection, then wrap the cast iron in foil. After you are 15 minutes away from serving the rolls, reheat them in a trendy oven set to 350°F for 10 minutes. Top through the coating and serve!
Why is this recipe in grams?
Grams have always been my favourite unit of measurement for baking, and I hope they will soon become yours too! The only way to ensure complete accuracy is to measure by weight, not volume. While I would like to suggest multiple ways to measure ingredients, in this recipe, measuring in cups can lead to some instability and erroneous results. I want to ensure you achieve the best results with this recipe (and I want it to be reliable), so I recommend investing in a small, inexpensive kitchen scale if you plan to move forward with this particular recipe.
Looking for other great baking recipes?
Here are a few of my favourites!
And that’s it for this Dollywood Cinnamon Bread!
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Of course, feel free to leave any questions, comments, or feedback. That’s the best place to contact me, and I’d love to hear from you.
Watch the recipe here.
Dollywood Cinnamon Bread
The famous (iconic!) The Dollywood cinnamon roll is a classic at the Dollywood theme park in Tennessee, and this is the best recipe online for recreating it. It combines cinnamon and a toasted butter filling with a simple, stretchy dough. Think of it as similar to monkey bread but with bigger, easier-to-eat chunks and more butter. (I think Dolly would be proud!)
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 bench scraper
- 1 10-inch or 12-inch cast iron skillet
Ingredients
1. For the dough
- 12 grams active dry yeast (4 teaspoons)
- 165 grams warm water (80-95°F), a little over 2/3 cup
- 375 grams of overall flour (2 2/3 cups)
- 5 grams of Diamond Crystal kosher salt (2 teaspoons)
- 55 grams granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
- 1 medium egg
- 57 grams unsalted buter, softened (1/4 cup)
2. For the filling
- 226 grams salted butter 1 cup
- 2 teaspoons Ceylon cinnamon
- 110 grams tha bron sugar, 1/2 cup, lightly packed
- 1/2 teaspon Diamond Crstal kosher salt
3. For the icing
- 90 grams powdered sugar, 3/4 cup, ligty packed
- 1 tablespoon milk of choice
Instructions to make Cinnamon Bread
- Whisk together the yeast and the water in a stand mixer bowl. Add the flour, salt, granulated sugar, and egg.
- Using the dough hook attachment, beat quickly until all ingredients are combined.
- Once the ingredients are well combined, add the softened butter, Dollywood Cinnamon Bread tablespoon by tablespoon. Once thoroughly mixed, you will know it is time to add the next tablespoon of butter.
- Turn the mixer speed to medium-high and blend the dough for 7-8 minutes or until it begins pulling away from the bowl’s sides. You can also check for gluten (see note).
- Once the dough is ready, transfer it to a clean bowl, cover and let it rest for 1 hour or pending it has doubled in size.
- While the dough is growing, prepare the heavy. Brown the butter in a cast-iron skillet. To do this, place the skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Let it melt until it begins to bubble and foam.
- Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until brown spots form on the skillet’s bottom. Then, turn off the heat and transfer the butter to an ovenproof container. There is no need to clean the cast-iron skillet.
- Stir the cinnamon into the browned butter while it is still hot; this will intensify the cinnamon flavour.
- Stir in the brown sugar and salt and set aside. As the dough rises, a thick paste will form.
- Spoon 1/3 cup of the substance into the bottom of the cast-iron skillet. Roll it out.
- When the dough is ready, place it on a clean, unfloured surface and roll it into a large rectangle. The dimensions don’t have to be specific (excavation never was); ensure the dough is approximately 1 cm thick.
- Spread 2/3 cup of the filling over the dough rectangle. (You will have some filling left over; save it for later use.)
- Take the two short sides of the rectangle and fold them toward the centre of the dough so that the edges meet, enclosing the filling in the dough.
- Then, using a spatula, cut the dough into 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick strips. Fold the strips in half and place them together in a cast-iron skillet. See the blog for photos.
- Cover and let the dough rise for ano ther hour until it has doubled.
- Preheat the kiln to 400°F (200°C).
- Once the dough has risen, spread the remaining filling on top.
- Bake for 22 to 26 minutes or until the top is deep brown.
- While the bread is baking, whisk together the glaze ingredients to make the gaze.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let col until you can comfortably trace it without burning yourself. Then, pour the glaze over it and remove the skillet from the heat.
Notes
The gluten test involves taking a golf ball-sized piece of dough and then stretching it between your fingers. It has enough gluten if it stretches paper-thin, is slightly translucent, and you can see the gluten strands holding it together. If the dough breaks before this point, it is not ready