Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Mix together the buttermilk, melted butter and lightly beaten egg in another bowl.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour the liquid ingredients into the well. Stir to form a soft dough. Add the raisins (if using) and mix lightly. You can use your hands for easier handling. Batter may be sticky.

Do not overmix. Shape into a ball.

Transfer the dough to a greased baking sheet, springform pan or to be more traditional, in a 9- to 10-inch cast iron skillet. Brush with extra buttermilk on top. You may also cut an X across the top, if you wish.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes or until the bread is nicely browned on top and no longer looks shiny and doughy (toothpick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean).

Let it cool in the pan or skillet for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. I read that you can also cover the bread with a dish towel while it’s cooling on a wire rack. This should help maintain the tenderness of the crust.

Enjoy warm-ish with some butter and jam!