Barbara, the directions do say "sprinkle inside of greased tube with cornmeal, poppy seeds, etc. as desired. Avoid sprinkling inside of tube with sugar." It doesn't say anything about size of frozen bread dough but it says if you are using your own recipe, make a 1 or 1 1/2 pound loaf. It says to "spread frozen loaf with butter or shortening. Center in greased tube, and place in rack. Allow bread to thaw according to package directions; for best results, thaw in refrigerator overnight, or at room temperature for a few hours. When thawed, cover ends of tube (with foil) and let dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until almost doubled (30 to 40 minutes). Hope this helps.