Recipe - Irish Raisin Soda Bread

4 cup Flour (up to 41/2)
4 teaspoon Baking powder
One half teaspoon Baking soda
One half teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoon Granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Caraway seeds (I use 2 Tbsp)
1 cup Raisins (I use at least 1
One half cups)
2 cup Buttermilk (See note below)
Butter (I don't use)
Sugar (I don't use)

I have no clue where this recipe originated. My mom gave it to me a long
time ago. It takes 1 One half hours from start to finish and is great,
especially toasted the next day. My comments are in parentheses.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 inch cake pan.

In a large bowl mix 4 cups of flour with the baking powder, baking soda,
salt sugar and caraway seeds. Add raisins, mixing in with your hands to
separate the raisins. Add buttermilk to flour mixture and mix with a fork
until mixture forms a dough.

Sprinkle about One fourth cup of flour on a board (countertop). Turn out dough and
knead for about 5 minutes, working in flour from the board. Add more flour
as needed to form a smooth round loaf.

Press loaf evenly into pan and cut a cross One half inch in the top.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until loaf sounds hollow when rapped on
the bottom. Remove loaf to a wire rack and rub top with butter. Sprinkle
with sugar. Let bread cool completely before slicing. (I don't do the
butter and sugar thing, and it rarely gets more than 5 minutes cooling
before we are slicing into it)

NOTE: I never have buttermilk around. I usually add a tablespoon of lemon
juice to a cup of milk and let it sit for 2 minutes or soor 2 tbsp to 2
cups milk as the case may be.

Posted to FOODWINE Digest by "Mcelrath, Christine" christim@SMHSI.COM on
Nov 20, 1997