Irish Soda Bread with Raisins

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp cold butter, cubed
• 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries
• 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds (optional)

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 425°F and lightly flour a cast-iron skillet or baking sheet.
2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until it looks like coarse crumbs, then stir in the raisins and caraway.
3. Whisk 1 1/2 cups buttermilk with the egg, pour into the flour and stir with a fork just until a shaggy, sticky dough forms, adding more buttermilk if dry flour remains.
4. Turn out onto a floured surface and gently shape into a round about 2 inches high. Don't knead.
5. Set in the skillet, dust with flour and cut a deep cross on top with a sharp knife.
6. Bake 15 minutes, then lower to 375°F and bake 25 to 30 minutes more, until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath. Cool at least 20 minutes before slicing; serve with salted butter.

TipHandle the dough as little as possible; overworking develops gluten and makes soda bread tough and heavy.