4 1/4 c All-purpose flour (up to 4
-1/2 cups)
4 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts Baking soda
1 ts Salt
3 tb Granulated sugar
1 tb Caraway seeds
1 c Dark seedless raisins
2 c Buttermilk
Butter
Sugar
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch black cast-iron skillet or cake
pan and dust with flour.
In a large bowl, mix 4 cups of the flour with the baking powder, baking
soda, salt, sugar, and caraway seeds. Add the raisins, mixing them in with
your fingers to make sure they are separated. Add the buttermilk to the
bowl and mix with a fork until the mixture forms a dough.
Sprinkle about 1/4 cup more of the flour on a board or counter. Turn out
the dough and knead for about 5 minutes, working in the flour from the
board and forming the dough into a smooth round loaf about 8 inches in
diameter. (If the humidity is high and the dough is very sticky, you may
need to add another 1/4 cup of flour to the board.)
Press the dough evenly into the prepared skillet or pan and cut a cross 1/2
inch deep across the top. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the loaf
sounds hollow when rapped on the bottom. Remove the loaf to a wire rack
and rub the top with butter. Sprinkle with sugar. Let the bread cool
completely before slicing.
This Irish bread tastes even better the second day and is particularly good
for breakfast.
Makes one large loaf.
[ The Redbook Breadbook ]
Yields
6 Servings