Step 1

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 204°C. When it comes to pans, you have options:- A silicone mat- Standard baking sheet lined with parchment paper- A seasoned 12-inch skillet (no preheating is required)- A greased 10-inch pie dish or cake pan.- A greased Dutch oven of at least 5 quarts (later, bake with its lid completely off!)

Step 2

Whisk buttermilk with egg, then set aside. Then, mix flour, baking soda, white sugar, and salt in a big bowl.

Step 3

Cut in your butter: use a fork or pastry cutter (or just your fingers) to work it into pea-size crumbs. Stir the raisins into the mix. Pour the egg/buttermilk mixture in and gently fold your dough until it's stiff.

Step 4

Dump that dough on a lightly flour-coated work surface. Work it into a small ball with your floured hands. Quickly knead until all that flour is moist (about 30 seconds). If it's too sticky, sprinkle on a bit more flour!

Step 5

Move that dough to your prepared pan or skillet. Sore (aka shallow cut) it with an X or slash about half an inch deep.

Step 6

Bake it until golden brown (about 45 to 55 minutes). The center should look cooked through.

Step 7

For the most accurate doneness test, insert a thermometer into the middle of the bread loaf; it should read 195°F or 90°C.

Step 8

Let it cool for about 10 minutes in its pan (out of the oven), then transfer it to a rack to cool completely. Enjoy your wonderful bread!