Thank you to all who participated in the Annual Soda Bread Contest!
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Great grandma Henrehan's Irish soda bread
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a cast iron or stainless steel skillet with butter or margarine.
4 cups AP flower
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons caraway seeds (recipe calls for one, I use 2)
1 cup raisins
1 stick melted unsalted butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Place the raisins in a bowl and sprinkle about a teaspoon or so of water and toss them, put a plate on top and microwave for one minute to plump them. Let them sit while you do everything else. Drain just before adding to the mix.
Cut up the butter, put it in a bowl and cover with a plate, and microwave for about 45 seconds until melted.
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Mix the wet ingredients (put the 1 1/2 cup buttermilk in a two-cup glass measuring cup, add the eggs to it and beat the eggs in the measuring cup. Then add the melted butter and mix again).
Add the wet ingredients and mix.
Drain the water off the raisins and add the raisins.
Mix with a spatula and dust the dough and the sides of the bowl. Dust your hands then knead for a few minutes. If it is really sticking to your hands, add flour, about ¼ cup. Shape dough into a round with your hands then flip the bowl so the dough drops into your hand and place into the greased skillet. Cut a slash or two across the top.
Bake 1 hour on the center rack, rotate the pan halfway through. It should have a nice golden color.
Remove to a cooling rack, do not leave in the cast iron skillet. Thump the bottom and listen for a hollow sound, then flip it onto the cooling rack.
It should not need more than an hour. If making two small loaves from 1 batch, drop the cooking time to 50 minutes and check with a dry butter knife.