Irish Soda Bread

This was my first experience making this traditional Irish bread served on St. Patrick's Day and it won't be my last.  As it is not a yeast bread, preparation goes rather quickly, though you need to allow an hour for baking time. 

Ingredients:

1-2 Cups raisins
1/2 Cup white sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 Cups buttermilk
1 Cup sour cream
4 1/2 Cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 Tablesoon reserved flour for sifting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9" round baking pan.

In a mixing bowl, with mixer on medium speed, combine wet ingredients except for buttermilk.  In separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, soda, salt and caraway seeds.  Add raisins and orange zest.  Add flour mixture, a 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well, alternating with 1/4 cup of buttermilk at a time.  Once all is incorporated, mix on low an additional 5-10 rotations as a way of "kneading" the dough.  If you then try to "knead" the dough in the traditional sense, you will get very sticky hands.  *See picture below*  After that experience I tried the extra rotations in the mixer and that worked just fine.

 
 It doesn't resemble a typical bread loaf, so don't worry! Place the dough in a well-greased 9" cake pan and pat down with floured fingers.   The dough comes up the the top of the pan but that is fine, it won't spill over but, rather will rise nicely.

Cut a 4x3/4 inch deep slit in the top of the bread.  Sift the reserved flour over the bread dough.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 60 minutes (in my oven it took 60 mins.) Test for doneness by using a toothpick which should come out clean if done. 

Let cool for 15 mins. then remove from pan to wire rack.  This is best served warm with butter. it's also great as toast the next day.  Enjoy and Happy St. Patrick's Day!