From Smitten Kitchen, contender #1.

• Butter for greasing pan plus 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1 1/2 cups raisins or currants
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
• Good aged Cheddar cheese, for serving
• Tart apples, cut into slices, for serving.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch oven-proof skillet and line with parchment or waxed paper. (Deb note: Mine came out a bit taller, as my cast-iron is 8-inches and deep.)
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just combined. Do not overmix. Stir in the raisins or currants and caraway seeds.
3. Pour batter into skillet. Brush top with remaining butter. Bake until golden and firm to touch, about 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving with Cheddar and apples.

RESULTS:
Yuuuuuuummm. This turned out, for me, to be far less dense than normal soda bread. It was fluffy! I used my 10-inch dutch oven than an iron skillet, so that might something to do with the fluffiness. I dunno. I replaced the raisins (ick!) with craisins. Much better. I've also decided never to buy buttermilk again. I just replaced the buttermilk with half milk and half plain yogurt.

I've fallen behind with both cooking and writing about cooking, which is sad because I got a few cookbooks for Christmas and I've been dying to dig in. Sigh! You know when you're running, and you stub your toe and trip, and then you sort of do this fall/stumble thing, when you sort of run out of control while pinwheeling your arms as you catch your balance? That's been my life lately. I haven't fallen, but I haven't caught myself yet. This isn't permanent busyness, but it's looking pretty long-term from here. :) I reap what I sow! That'll learn me for not figuring out how to say no.