Ingredients

4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup raisins
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange oven rack to the middle row. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.

Add flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the butter and cut in using a pastry cutter until it looks like small peas. Add the buttermilk, raisins, and caraway seeds and stir until it looks like a shaggy biscuit dough. Turn out on your cutting board and knead for 20 seconds until it comes together.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and heavy cream. Divide the dough into two pieces. Form each into a round ball on the prepared sheet tray, tucking in the seams beneath the dough. Brush each round with the egg wash then score an x on the top of the round using a sharp knife.

Bake for 30 minutes, until golden browned, and when a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.