Dollywood dishes up such comforting southern food you might mistake it for home cooking. The most popular offering? This ooey-gooey Dollywood cinnamon bread.
Instructions
1
Proof the yeast and make a batter
2
In a stand mixer bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm (not too hot) milk. Add bread flour, butter, sugar, egg and salt. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in just enough all-purpose flour to form a firm dough. You may need more or less depending on the humidity, the size of your egg and other factors. The dough should be firm, not slack or sticky. Editor's Tip: You can use frozen bread dough for this recipe. Just skip down to Step 5.
3
Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about six to eight minutes.
4
Let the dough rise
5
Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about one hour.
6
Prepare the spice
7
In a pie plate, combine the sugar and pie spice (or plain cinnamon, if you prefer the traditional recipe). Pour melted butter in another pie plate.
8
Shape and season the loaf
9
Punch the dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and shape into an oblong loaf. Using a sharp knife, make five slits across the bread dough. This allows the butter and sugar to penetrate into the bread. Roll the dough in butter, coating all sides. Then roll in the sugar mixture.
10
Do the final rise
11
Place the dough in a parchment-lined 9x5-inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 40 minutes. About halfway through the rise, preheat oven to 375°F.
12
Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Serve warm, with apple butter, jam or buttercream, if you prefer. Editor's Tip: Cover the loaf loosely with foil if the top is browning too quickly.
