• Preheat oven to 425°F. Line cast iron skillet, rimmed baking sheet, or in a Dutch oven with parchment paper. Dust with a tiny amount of white flour. Set aside.

to assemble dough using your food processor

• Pulse together the dry ingredients of flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Then add in the butter, and pulse until it is coarse and well incorporated. Whisk together the egg and buttermilk and add to the textured flour along with the raisins and caraway seeds and pulse until just incorporated. Over-mixing the soft dough will make the finished bake tough.

to assemble dough using a mixing bowl

• Whisk together dry ingredients of flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter to the flour mixture and using your fingertips, rub the butter in until coarse crumbs form. Stir the raisins and caraway into the textured flour.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and buttermilk together until well blended. Add the liquids to a well in the center of the textured flour and use a wooden spoon to stir it until just incorporated. Over-mixing the soft dough will make the finished bake tough.

shape and bake

• Dust your hands with flour and work the dough into a compact and round loaf. Place the dough into the prepared skillet, baking sheet, or Dutch oven atop the lightly floured parchment, NO LID. Using a serrated knife that has been dipped in flour, cut a 1 to 2-inch deep cross in the top of the dough. This helps heat to penetrate the dough and it looks gorgeous emerging from your oven.
• If using a cast iron skillet, bake for 25 minutes and test for doneness. If using a baking sheet or Dutch oven, bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until top is browned and the bread sounds hollow when the bottom is tapped. Regardless of what you bake the loaf in/on, cover the loaf 20 minutes into the bake by tenting with aluminum foil so the top does not brown too quickly.
• Remove from the oven and transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature with softened sweet cream butter.