Lois' Irish Soda Bread

I had a few requests for this recipe, so here it is - enjoy!
~ with thanks to a great but sadly out of print cookbook, "Breadcraft"

For two loaves - eat one now, freeze one for later

4 C flour
2/3 C sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 C raisins
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
2 lightly beaten eggs
1 1/3 C buttermilk
2 Tablespoons melted butter (use real butter)

Put some good Irish music on and heat up the oven to 350 degrees. Butter up a couple of pie pans or a baking sheet.

Sift or mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add raisins and caraway seeds. In separate bowl beat egg and add buttermilk and melted butter (be sure butter has cooled). Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients. It will be a sticky mess, so after you mix it as best you can, put it on a wooden board and knead lightly with your hands - not too much, but until everything is mixed together. Add flour if you need to. It should hold together into a big loaf. Cut this loaf in two, shape both halves into round loaves. Cut a cross on top of each loaf (this lets the fairies out). Put loaves in buttered pie pans or on your baking sheet, and bake for approximately 35 minutes. Take out and test by thumping on bottom or inserting a knife - knife should come out mostly clean - you don't want it too dry, but you don't want it mushy in the middle.

Eat warm with butter or without - the baker gets the first slice (to test, you know?)