When it comes to theme park food, a few select treats reign supreme: Disney's Dole Whip, Universal Studios' Harry Potter-inspired Butterbeer, and Dollywood's cinnamon bread. Dollywood is well-known for its Southern eats, with popular dishes like fried chicken and catfish at Aunt Granny's, barbecue pork sandwiches at Hickory House BBQ, and the 25-pound apple pie at Spotlight Bakery. Most popular, however, is the Grist Mill, home of Dollywood's iconic pull-apart cinnamon bread, served hot with apple butter or icing.
In the park, the bread is made right in front of (a usually long line of) guests. The bakers cut slits into each uncooked loaf, then dip it in butter and a cinnamon-sugar mixture before sending it into the oven. The result is a perfectly gooey, delicious snack that tastes like it was made with love (and, of course, lots of sugar and butter). And it's served by the loaf, so it's easily shareable between four people (if you're willing to give up some of the homemade goodness, that is).
You can also purchase Dollywood's cinnamon bread at other locations on property, but you can't beat a fresh, warm piece between rides, even in the Tennessee summer heat. It's also the perfect souvenir, and many guests grab an extra loaf to bring home and enjoy the next morning for breakfast (or during the ride home from the theme park, we won't judge).
We got Dollywood's cinnamon bread recipe straight from the source, so you can make this delicious theme park treat at home whenever you want.
1/2 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit)
3/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tbsp. plus a pinch of granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsps. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Cooking spray
For the Topping:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
6 tbsps. unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsps. light corn syrup
For the Glaze:
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tbsps. unsalted butter, melted
3 to 5 tbsps. milk
How to Make Dollywood’s Cinnamon Bread
Make the dough: Combine the warm water, yeast, and a pinch of granulated sugar in a small bowl and let sit until foamy, five to eight minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the bread flour, remaining one tablespoon of granulated sugar, and salt in a stand mixer.
Add the yeast mixture and melted butter to the flour mixture. Knead with the dough hook on medium speed until it is smooth and elastic, about eight minutes. Transfer to a bowl coated with cooking spray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about one and a half hours.
Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Punch down the dough and transfer to a work surface; knead a few times. Cut in half and gently shape into two three-by-six-inch loaves (do not overwork the dough). Place the loaves three inches apart on the prepared pan. Lightly spray the loaves with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until puffy, 30 minutes to one hour.
Make the topping: Whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small baking dish. Whisk the melted butter and corn syrup in another small baking dish.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two nine-by-five-inch loaf pans with parchment paper, leaving a two-inch overhang on all sides. Cut four deep slashes across the top of each loaf (the loaves will look deflated). Dip each loaf in the butter-corn syrup mixture, turning to cover, then coat with the cinnamon sugar, making sure to get the sugar in the crevices. Place the loaves in the prepared pans. Drizzle with any remaining butter mixture and sprinkle with any remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake until light brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Lift the bread out of the loaf pans using the parchment overhang and transfer to a rack. Let cool in the paper, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar, salt, melted butter, and three tablespoons of milk in a bowl until smooth. Whisk in up to two more tablespoons of milk as needed to loosen. Drizzle on the warm loaves or serve on the side for dipping.
If you've been to Dollywood, you know all about its iconic Grist Mill Cinnamon Bread. Even if you've never tasted it, the warm and spicy aroma is like the park's signature scent.
But if you eat one thing at Dollywood, make it this $10 cinnamon bread. Baked fresh daily, the pull-apart loaves are soaked in butter and cinnamon-sugar before baking. Each one comes with dipping sauces of buttercream icing and apple butter.
Did you know that Dollywood's cinnamon bread is a vegetarian and dairy-free option? Although not 100% vegan, the butter cream is made with a butter alternative rather than real butter to support allergen awareness, which helps to land this fan-favorite a sweet spot on our vegetarian-friendly list!
All the cinnamon roll recipes we've ever come across use an enriched dough—one that has fat and sugar added to it. Rich doughs are often sweeter, but because of the added fat (butter) they are also very tender and will stale less quickly.
Dollywood is a theme park that is jointly owned by Herschend Family Entertainment and country singer-songwriter Dolly Parton through her entertainment company, Dolly Parton Productions.
As of November 2023, Dollywood prices are $92 for a standard one day adult pass, $119 for two days, and $129 packages for three days. Dollywood discount tickets apply to seniors 62+ and children ages 4-9. Admission is free to children 3 and under.
If there's one thing people cannot stop talking about at Dollywood, it's definitely their world-famous Cinnamon Bread. To get a taste of this talk of the town, all you have to do is head on over to The Grist Mill.
The prices are high but that's expected for these places. They do give you specials on food and drinks that are good for the entire season if you're going more than once. For perspective, we bought 3 personal pizzas and 4 drinks (with 4 pieces in each pizza). It was $43!
"This is a real comfort food sandwich! The sweetness of the cinnamon and raisins combined with the smooth creaminess of the cream cheese makes for a delicious change of pace lunch or snack!
At Dollywood, we use Beyond Meat products for those who prefer the vegetarian or vegan diet. You can get a burger or crumbles in a burrito bowl at Till & Harvest and we have several plant-based protein menu items at Front Porch Café.
anytime! * You can freeze the rolls, unrisen, in the pan. Cover them tightly with both plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Then you'll just need to remove them, allow them to thaw and rise, and continue the baking and icing process.
Don't taste or eat raw (unbaked) dough or batter. Don't let children handle raw dough, including play clay and dough for crafts. Uncooked flour and raw eggs can contain germs that can make you sick if you taste raw dough. Wash your hands, bowls, utensils, and countertops after handling raw flour, eggs, or dough.
A cinnamon roll (also known as cinnamon bun, cinnamon swirl, cinnamon Danish and cinnamon snail) is a sweet roll commonly served in Northern Europe (mainly in Nordic countries, but also in Austria and Germany) and North America.
Bread flour is hands down the best option when making cinnamon rolls. Any good cinnamon rolls recipe is going to usually call for bread flour instead of other kinds of flour. This is because bread flour is high in protein, usually containing 11% to 13% more protein than other kinds of flour.
Can I bring food into the park? Due to health & safety regulations, outside food, beverages, glassware & coolers are not permitted inside Dollywood or Dollywood's Splash Country.
Spanning 160 acres in the Great Smoky Mountains, Dollywood theme park offers more than 50 world-class rides, high-energy entertainment, award-winning dining and the friendliest theme park atmosphere in the world! We even received an award for being so friendly!
Introduction: My name is Mr. See Jast, I am a open, jolly, gorgeous, courageous, inexpensive, friendly, homely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/dollywood-eagle-statue-DOLLYBREAD0420-48d5f7fe138e4ad49783e467c161c169.jpg "Dollywood Has the Best Cinnamon Bread in America — and We Have the Official Recipe (2)")
