Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Prepare an 8” cake pan, Dutch oven, or skillet by spraying with cooking spray or slathering with butter.

2. Whisk buttermilk and egg together. Set aside. Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together.

3. Sprinkle the cubed butter over the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingers, cut the butter into pea-sized crumbs. Stir in the raisins (if using).

4. Pour in the egg mixture and gently fold the dough together until it is too stiff to stir. Pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface (pour all the crumbs and bits out of the bowl).

5. Using lightly floured hands, work the dough into a ball, then knead for about 30 seconds, or until all the flour is incorporated. Try not to do too much kneading as this “toughens” the dough.

6. Transfer the dough into your prepared pan. Using a very sharp knife tip, cut the dough with a big X about ½” deep.

7. Bake for 45-55 minutes- until the bread is golden brown and the center appears cooked through. If you can’t tell, it's done when an instant-read thermometer reads 195° F in the center of the loaf. If you notice the bread starts to brown quickly, make a tent of aluminum foil to loosely cover the top.

8. Remove from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a rack- but be careful, the bread is HOT!

9. Store extra bread at room temp for 2 days. Alternatively, you can slice it and freeze it for later. Enjoy!