Sweet irish soda bread (spotted dick or spotted dog)

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into pieces
• 2 cups dark raisins
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

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Preparation

• With the oven rack in the center, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry blender until the mixture is the consistency of fine meal.
• Once at this point, use your hands to pinch and fluff the mixture. Add the raisins and caraway seeds and mix in with your hands to distribute.
• In another bowl, beat the egg with a fork, then stir in the buttermilk and baking soda. make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir with the fork until the mixture forms a damp dough.
  
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and coat the dough with flour on all sides. Knead with you hands a few times, then flatten into a disk about 8" across.
• Place in the center of the prepared baking sheet and, with a floured sharp knife, make a 1/2" deep cross on top.
• Bake for 45 minutes, then tent with foil and continue to bake for another 8-10 minutes. The loaf should be a deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

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