Preheat your oven to 350°F. While the oven heats, place the raisins in a bowl of warm water and let them soak for 10 minutes to plump them up and add moisture to the bread. This small step ensures tender, flavorful raisins throughout your loaf rather than hard, dried-out pieces.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, caraway seeds, baking powder, salt, and baking soda until well combined and evenly distributed. This ensures the leavening agents and seasonings are spread throughout the dough for consistent rise and flavor. I like to sift the flour first to aerate it slightly—it makes for a more tender crumb in the final bread.

In a separate bowl, whisk the room-temperature eggs and sour cream together until smooth and well blended. Room-temperature ingredients mix more evenly and create a more cohesive batter. Add the orange zest to this mixture and stir to combine, distributing the bright citrus flavor throughout.

Pour the wet ingredient mixture from Step 3 into the bowl with the dry ingredients from Step 2. Using a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined—the dough should be shaggy and slightly lumpy. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the bread tough, so stop as soon as you don't see streaks of dry flour.

Drain the soaked raisins from Step 1 and gently fold them into the dough using a few turns of the spatula. Pour the dough into a greased 9-inch round cake pan or similar size, smoothing the top with a spatula. The dough will be thick and sticky—this is normal for soda bread.

Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. I like to tent the bread loosely with foil after 30 minutes if the top is browning too quickly, which ensures the inside bakes through without over-browning the crust.

Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack or serving plate. Serve warm with butter for the best flavor and texture. The bread will continue to firm up slightly as it cools.