Irish Raisin Soda Bread

I have no clue where this recipe originated. My mom gave it to me a long time ago. It takes 1 1/2 hours from start to finish and is great, especially toasted the next day. My comments are in parentheses. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 inch cake pan. In a large bowl mix 4 cups of flour with the baking powder, baking soda, salt sugar and caraway seeds. Add raisins, mixing in with your hands to separate the raisins. Add buttermilk to flour mixture and mix with a fork until mixture forms a dough. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of flour on a board (countertop). Turn out dough and knead for about 5 minutes, working in flour from the board. Add more flour as needed to form a smooth round loaf. Press loaf evenly into pan and cut a cross 1/2 inch in the top. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until loaf sounds hollow when rapped on the bottom. Remove loaf to a wire rack and rub top with butter. Sprinkle with sugar. Let bread cool completely before slicing. (I dont do the butter and sugar thing, and it rarely gets more than 5 minutes cooling before we are slicing into it) NOTE: I never have buttermilk around. I usually add a tablespoon of lemon juice to a cup of milk and let it sit for 2 minutes or so--or 2 tbsp to 2 cups milk as the case may be. Posted to FOODWINE Digest by "Mcelrath, Christine" <christim@SMHSI.COM> on Nov 20, 1997