Irish Soda Bread

4 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups dark seedless raisins
1  tablespoon caraway seed
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 2-quart round casserole (or use a cast iron Dutch oven or skillet. In a large bowl with fork, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. With pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins and caraway seed.

In small bowl with fork, beat eggs slightly; remove 1 tablespoon and reserve. Stir buttermilk into remaining egg; stir into flour mixture just until flour is moistened (dough will be sticky).

Turn dough onto well-floured surface, knead about 10 strokes to mix thoroughly. Shape into a ball; place in casserole. In center of ball, cut 4-inch cross 1/4 inch deep. Brush dough with reserved egg.

Bake about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cool on a rack 10 minutes: remove from casserole and cool completely on rack.