Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, combine and sift the dry ingredients of flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Optionals: Add the raisins and stir in. If desired, classic Irish Soda Bread also includes Caraway Seed which you may also add to the dry mixture.

Cut in the slightly softened (NOT melted) butter until crumbles appear. You can use some forks or even fingers to blend the butter into the mixture.

Make a shallow in the middle of dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk. Use a fork to stir and mix together to a biscuit consistency. It should feel soft and light, not sticky.

Flour a board lightly, then turn the dough onto the board and kneed a short time (about a minute) until smooth. Don't go overboard on this... you just want it smoothed out and blended - fold, press, roll, fold, press a brief while and you are done. If it feels too sticky, sprinkle a bit of the flour from the board across the top as you are working the dough and make sure there continues to be flour on the board as you progress.

Shape it into a round loaf about 8 to 9 inches wide and gently flatten to about 1 1/2" tall. Ideally, use a buttered cast iron pan to place it in, or set on a coated cookie sheet.

Using a floured knife, score a cross into the top approximately 1/8" deep. (Besides helping the bread to expand, Irish lore says the cross is "to keep the devil away".

Bake the bread at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes. To test for doneness you should hear a hollow sound when you tap the crust with a finger.

Lightly brush the top of the loaf with butter, cool slightly, and then enjoy plain, with butter and/or jam. The version without raisins works great with dinner stews and gravies as well.