Bake the Book
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[Photograph: Ellen Silverman]

It's a wonder why soda bread isn't made year-round. With sweet raisins and grassy caraway seeds (and plenty of butter), this couldn't-be-simpler bread will see you through cold winter nights.

Reprinted with permission from The Epicurious Cookbook by Tanya Steel & the editors of Epicurious. Copyright © 2012. Published by Clarkson Potter. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.

About This Recipe

Yield: makes 8 to 10 servings
Active time: 10-15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups raisins
  • 3 tablespoons caraway seeds
  • 2 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 large egg

Procedures

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a heavy ovenproof 10- to 12-inch skillet with high sides. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl to blend. Add the butter; using fingertips, rub in until coarse crumbs form. Stir in the raisins and caraway seeds. Whisk the buttermilk and egg in a medium bowl to blend. Add to dough; using wooden spoon, stir just until well incorporated (dough will be very sticky).

  2. Transfer the dough to the prepared skillet; smooth the top, mounding slightly in center. Using a small sharp knife dipped into flour, cut a 1-inch-deep X in the top center of dough. Bake until the bread is cooked through and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool the bread in the skillet 10 minutes. Turn out onto a rack and cool completely.