Dollywood-Inspired Cinnamon Bread

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Soft, pull-apart cinnamon bread with a deeplycaramelized cinnamon-sugar coating and sweet vanilla icing is hard to resist.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Rising and cooling time1 30

Total Time2 10

Course: Bread, Dessert

Cuisine: American, Southern

Servings: loaves

Calories: 1459kcal

Author: Chula King

6 tablespoons (3 ounces, 85 grams) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons (1.06 ounces, 30 grams) light corn syrup
¼ cup (1.75 ounces, 50 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (1.875 ounces, 53 grams) light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon (0.25 ounces, 7 grams) ground cinnamon

1 ¼ cups (5 ounces, 142 grams) confectioners' sugar
Pinch salt
2 Tablespoons (1 ounce, 28 grams) unsalted butter, melted
3 Tablespoons (1.5 ounces, 43 grams) milk, plus more if necessary to reach the desired consistency (See Tip 5)

Add the bread flour, sugar, salt, and yeast to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse 4 to 5 times to combine.
Remove the feed tube. With the food processor running, slowly add the water through the feed tube and process for about 10 seconds, until the dough is just combined and no dry flour remains. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
With the food processor running, add the melted butter through the feed tube. Process until the dough forms a satiny ball that clears the sides of the food processor, about 30 seconds.
Transfer the dough ball to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. (See Tip 6)

Whisk together the melted butter and corn syrup in a 6-inch or larger dish. In another 6-inch or larger dish, combine the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Line two 8x3 ¾ or 8x4-inch loaf pans with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on both sides.
Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined surface, and divide into two equal pieces. Form each piece into a 6x3-inch rough rectangle. Make four deep crosswise slashes in each loaf, making sure not to cut all the way through.
Dip each loaf in the mixture, coating it completely. Then coat with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, making sure it gets into all the crevices.
Place loaves in prepared loaf pans and drizzle with any cinnamon sugar and butter. Cover and allow to rise in a warm location until puffy, around 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Once the loaves have risen bake in the preheated oven until golden and they reach an internal temperature of 190° to 195°F, about 20 minutes
Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool for around 15 minutes.

While the cinnamon bread is cooling, beat together the confectioners' sugar, salt, melted butter, and 3 tablespoons of milk until smooth. Add a bit more milk if needed to achieve the proper consistency.
Drizzle the icing on the warm loaves and serve the remaining icing on the side for dipping.
Yield: two loaves

May also use table salt.
I always use instant or bread machine yeast because it does not require blooming like active yeast. Instant yeast can be added directly to the other ingredients.
Use filtered water rather than tap water. Tap water contains chlorine, which can negatively impact yeast growth.
The food processor generates a lot of heat as it processes the dough. Starting with cold water helps prevent the dough from overheating.
The official recipe called for 3 to 5 tablespoons of milk. I ended up using 3 ½ tablespoons. However, adjust the amount of milk to achieve your desired consistency.
I used the proof function on my oven for the rise. The actual time may vary depending on the environment.