Mary Piccirillo's Irish Soda Bread

3-1/4 cups flour
1/3  sugar plus two table spoons, divided
1 teaspoon of  Baking Powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup butter make sure its cold
1-1/3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup  raisins you can use currants (I like the taste that the raisins give better)

3 teaspoons of caraway seeds

Heat your oven to 350 degrees 

First mix flour, then add 1/3 cup of sugar and baking powder and lastly salt in a large mixing bowl.  Add your butter by cutting in using a pastry blender or a folk of knife, until you notice that mix looks like coarse crumbs, now slowly add butter milk, and then your raisin or currants.  Mix until this becomes moistened.

Now place your dough onto a floured surface, need 10-15 times.  Shape into round loaf, which will be 1 1/2 inches thick. Place your dough on a greased baking sheet.  Cut a 1/2 (X)  on the top of the dough.  Now sprinkle the rest of your sugar of the dough.

Bake your Soda bread 1 hour and until it is a nice golden brown.  Once baked cool completely on a wire rack. 

I will be sharing many of Mom Piccirillo's wonderful recipes on this blog.  Thanks to her for many wonderful meals on Sunday night's.