Dollywood Cinnamon Bread

Step 1

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the yeast and the water. Add in the flour, salt, granulated sugar and egg.

Step 2

Using the hook attachment on the mixer, mix on medium until all the ingredients are combined.

Step 3

Once the ingredients are just combined, begin adding the softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time. When it is fully mixed in, that's when you know to add the next tablespoon of butter.

Step 4

Turn the mixer to medium-high and mix the dough for 7-8 minutes or until it is pulling away from the sides. You can also do the gluten test (see note).

Step 5

When the dough is ready, transfer it to a clean bowl and cover and let it rise for an hour or until doubled in size.

Step 6

While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Brown the butter in a cast iron skillet. Do this by placing the skillet over medium heat, adding the butter and letting it melt until it starts to fizz and foam. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until you see flecks of brown start forming in the bottom of the pan. Then turn off the heat and transfer the butter to a heat-safe bowl. No need to wipe out the cast iron skillet.

Step 7

Whisk the cinnamon into the brown butter while it's still warm, this will "bloom" the cinnamon's flavor.

Step 8

Whisk in the brown sugar and salt and set aside. This should form a thick paste during the time the dough finishes rising.

Step 9

Add 1/3 cup of the filling to the bottom of the cast iron skillet. Spread it around.

Step 10

When the dough is ready, place it down on a clean, unfloured surface and stretch it into a large rectangle. The dimensions don't have to be specific (mine never are), just make sure your dough is about 1 centimeter thick.

Step 11

Spread 2/3 cup worth of filling onto the rectangle of dough. (You will have a bit of filling left, save it).

Step 12

Grab the two shorter sides of the rectangle and fold them to the center of the dough so that their edges line up with each other, encasing the filling in the dough.

Step 13

From there, use a bench scraper to slice the dough into 1-inch thick strips. Fold the strips in half and nestle them together in the cast iron skillet. See the blog post for photos.

Step 14

Cover and let this rise for another hour, or until 50% bigger in size.

Step 15

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Step 16

When the dough has risen, spread the remaining filling all over the top of the dough.

Step 17

Bake for 22-26 minutes, or until the bread is a deep, dark brown on top.

Step 18

While the bread is baking, whisk together the icing ingredients to make a glaze.

Step 19

Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool until the cast iron is safe to touch. Then drizzle with the glaze and tear apart!