Potato Flake Sourdough Dollywood Copycat Cinnamon Bread

If you’ve ever had the famous cinnamon bread at Dollywood, you know exactly why people talk about it so much. It’s soft, buttery, covered in cinnamon sugar, and just messy enough to be worth every sticky finger.

This Potato Flake Sourdough Dollywood Copycat Cinnamon Bread is inspired by that classic Dollywood cinnamon bread using a potato flake sourdough starter. The dough is soft and slightly sweet, then it’s cut with deep slits, dipped in a buttery corn syrup mixture, packed with cinnamon sugar, and baked until warm and gooey.

It’s the kind of bread that feels special, but it’s still made with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This recipe is a fun way to use potato flake sourdough dough for something a little more dessert-like. It’s soft, sweet, buttery, and this pull-apart bread is perfect for sharing.

You’ll also love that this recipe only makes one loaf. It’s a smaller batch, which makes it great when you want a special treat without making a huge amount of dough.

And if you’re already familiar with making potato flake sourdough bread, this is a really fun way to take a basic dough and turn it into something that feels completely different.

What Is Dollywood Cinnamon Bread?

If this is your first time hearing of Dollywood cinnamon bread, it is a famous pull-apart style cinnamon bread served at Dollywood. It’s known for being soft on the inside, coated in cinnamon sugar, and served warm with icing for dipping. Some people even love to pair it with apple butter. 

This recipe is not the official Dollywood recipe, but it is a copycat-inspired version made with potato flake sourdough starter. I’ve actually never had the original version created by Dolly Parton, but my sister and her husband have eaten more of the real deal than they can count and were my taste testing committee.  

The biggest difference is that this version uses a naturally leavened potato flake sourdough dough instead of a traditional yeasted dough. Honestly, it reminds me of eating potato flake sourdough cinnamon rolls just in a bread loaf shape. 

Tools Needed

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Stand mixer with dough hook, optional
Large mixing bowl
Measuring cups and spoons
Small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl
Parchment paper
Loaf pan
Pastry brush or spoon
Small bowl for icing
Aluminum foil

Ingredients

For the Potato Flake Sourdough Dough

2 cups bread flour (250 grams)
1/3 cup potato flake sourdough starter
2 1/2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter 35 grams
1 teaspoon salt 6 grams
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar 31 grams
1/2 cup warm water 118 grams

This makes a little bit more than 1 pound of dough.

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

For the Butter Mixture

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup

For the Icing

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons whole milk

How to Make Potato Flake Sourdough Dollywood Copycat Cinnamon Bread

Make the Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread flour, potato flake sourdough starter, melted butter, salt, sugar, and warm water.

Using the dough hook attachment, mix until the dough comes together and becomes smooth and elastic. If you do not have a stand mixer, you can mix the dough by hand in a large bowl and knead it until smooth. I love this method along with 3 round of stretch and folds.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until doubled. Rise time can vary depending on the temperature of your home and how active your starter is, but potato flake sourdough usually needs several hours.

Shape the Dough

After the first rise, shape the dough into a loaf shape.

Using a sharp knife, cut five deep slits across the top of the dough. Be careful not to cut all the way through. These slits are what help the butter and cinnamon sugar get down into the bread.

Make the Cinnamon Sugar and Butter Mixture

In a shallow dish, mix together the white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

In a separate dish, melt the butter. Add the corn syrup. Stir until combined.

Coat the Dough

Dip the shaped dough into the melted butter mixture. Use your fingers to gently open the slits and make sure the butter gets down in between them.

Next, transfer the dough into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Coat as much of the dough as you can. Open the slits and make sure the cinnamon sugar mixture gets down in between them.

Place the coated dough into a parchment-lined loaf pan.

Take about half of the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture and sprinkle it down into the slits while the dough is in the pan. Reserve the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture and the remaining butter for after the second rise.

Let the Dough Rise Again

Cover the pan and allow the dough to rise again until puffy.

This second rise helps the bread bake up soft instead of dense. Try not to rush this step. Allow it to fully double.

Add the Final Toppings

Before baking, pour the extra butter mixture over the top of the dough.

Then sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top. Avoid touching or pressing on the dough, it could cause it to deflate.

Bake

Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.

After 25 minutes, cover the bread loosely with foil and continue baking for another 5-6 minutes.

Bake until the bread is baked through reaching an internal temperature of 200°F.

The total bake time is about 31 minutes.

Because this bread has sugar and butter on top, the foil helps keep the cinnamon sugar from getting too dark before the inside is done.

Make the Icing

While the bread is baking, mix together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and whole milk until smooth.

Once the bread is finished baking, let it cool slightly.

Drizzle about half of the icing over the warm bread. Save the rest for dipping, if desired.

Tips for Success

Make sure your starter is active before using it. Since this dough relies on potato flake sourdough starter to rise, your starter needs to be bubbly and ready to bake with.

Do not skip the slits in the dough. Those cuts are what allow the butter and cinnamon sugar to work their way down into the bread instead of just sitting on top. Cut almost all the way to the bottom without cutting all the way through.

Use parchment paper in your loaf pan. The cinnamon sugar and butter can get sticky as it bakes, and parchment makes it much easier to lift the bread out of the pan.

Let the dough rise until double and puffy before baking. If it goes into the oven before it has risen enough, the bread may turn out dense. I allowed mine to rise about 14 hours for the second rise. Cinnamon hinders fermentation and will cause the second rise to take longer.

Cover with foil partway through baking. The sugar can brown quickly, so foil helps protect the top while the center finishes baking.

How to Serve

This bread is best served warm.

You can drizzle the icing over the top, serve it on the side for dipping, or do a little of both.

It makes a wonderful weekend breakfast, brunch treat, dessert, or special holiday bread.

How to Store Leftovers

Store leftover cinnamon bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.

For longer storage, keep it in the refrigerator.

To reheat, warm individual slices in the microwave for a few seconds until soft. You can also reheat it in the oven at a low temperature until warmed through.

Can I Make This Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can make the dough ahead of time and let it complete the first rise. After shaping, coating, and placing it in the pan, you can cover it tightly and refrigerate it.

When you’re ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature until puffy before adding the final butter and cinnamon sugar topping and baking.

FAQ

Is this the official Dollywood cinnamon bread recipe?

No, this is not the official recipe. This is a copycat-inspired version made with potato flake sourdough starter.

Can I use potato flake sourdough discard?

For best results, I recommend using active potato flake sourdough starter. Since this recipe does not use commercial yeast, the starter is what helps the dough rise.

Why do you add corn syrup to the butter?

The corn syrup helps give the butter mixture a slightly thicker, smoother consistency. It also helps the cinnamon sugar stick to the dough and gives the bread that sweet, sticky coating.

Can I leave the corn syrup out?

You can, but the coating may not be quite the same. The butter will be thinner, and the cinnamon sugar may not cling to the dough as well. You could try using a agave syrup or maple syrup to immatate the corn syrup. 

How do I know when the bread is done?

The bread should be golden brown, puffed, and baked through in the center, reaching 200F internal temperature. Because the top is covered in cinnamon sugar, it can look done before the inside is fully baked, so make sure not to pull it too early. This is why it is important to cover with foil before the loaf is all the way done. 

Can I double this recipe?

Yes, you can double the recipe if you want to make two loaves. Since this recipe makes about 1 pound of dough, doubling it would give you enough dough for two cinnamon bread loaves.

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This potato flake sourdough Dollywood copycat cinnamon bread is such a fun recipe to make when you want something extra special. It has all the cozy cinnamon sugar flavor you’d expect, but with the added fun of using potato flake sourdough dough.

It’s soft, buttery, sweet, and perfect for pulling apart and sharing while it’s still warm.

If you give this Potato Flake Sourdough Dollywood Copycat Cinnamon Bread recipe a try, I would greatly appreciate if you came back and gave it a 5-star review! It helps me out so much! 

I also love seeing all of the delicious creations you make! Share your photo over on instagram or facebook and give me a tag @littletennesseehome