Dolly Parton Is No Longer Gatekeeping Dollywood's Iconic Cinnamon Bread

Dollywood is as famous for its Southern-style comfort food as it is for its world-class rollercoasters and music festivals. The 165-acre theme park is home to more than 20 dining options, including full-service restaurants, buffet-style eateries, and fast casual dining. One of the most iconic food items it offers is its signature cinnamon bread. The bread made its debut in the 1970s at Silver Dollar City, an 1880s-themed amusement park with locations in Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The park served its own version of the bread, which was made from a family recipe passed down through the generations. The Pigeon Forge location was purchased in 1977, and the new owners constructed a working grist mill on the land in 1982. Dolly Parton became a co-owner of the park, and it was rebranded as Dollywood in 1986, but the cinnamon bread remained a staple treat.

Loaves are made fresh each day at The Grist Mill in Craftsman's Valley in Dollywood, and are one of the most popular items. Its exact recipe has been a tightly guarded secret — until recently. The official Dollywood Pinterest account has shared the recipe, proclaiming it "the best cinnamon bread in America."

You can make the cinnamon bread at home using active dry yeast, bread flour, white sugar, unsalted butter, and salt. The crumbly topping comes together using white and brown sugar, cinnamon, unsalted butter, and light corn syrup. To make the glaze, you'll need powdered sugar, milk, unsalted butter, and salt. Because this recipe relies so much on a perfectly proofed bread dough, it may seem tricky to beginners. However, it's not complicated as long as you have the patience to properly proof, knead, and rise your dough.

After combining water, yeast, and sugar according to the recipe instructions, let the mixture sit for five minutes. While you're waiting, mix the remaining dough ingredients together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Then check your yeast mixture and make sure it looks foamy or frothy. This process is called proofing the yeast, and it's a quick sugar test that can tell you if your yeast is still good. If it isn't foamy, the yeast cultures are dead, and you should use a new package. If it is nice and frothy, add the mixture to the other dough ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer.

Use the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer to knead the dough until it feels smooth and soft to the touch and stretches without breaking. Kneading incorporates air into the dough and activates its gluten strands to achieve a soft, fluffy, chewy bread that rises perfectly. Poke it gently with your finger; if it bounces back quickly without sticking, it has been kneaded enough.

You can then proof the dough in a warm oven. Preheat your oven to 150 degrees Fahrenheight and then turn it off. Place the bowl of dough in the oven with the door ajar for 30 minutes. Then close the door and let the dough rise until it looks twice as big as it did before. You'll then gently knead the wet bread dough in a bowl, not on the counter, to incorporate more air. After that, the dough is ready to be cut, shaped, and baked according to the recipe's instructions.