Preheat oven to 425°. Sift together 4 cups of flour, the sugar, salt and baking soda into a large bowl.
Using a pastry cutter (I used my stand mixer and it worked fine), work butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal, then stir in raisins.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add beaten egg and buttermilk to well and mix in with a wooden spoon until dough is too stiff to stir.
Dust hands with a little flour, then gently knead dough in the bowl just long enough to form a rough ball. If the dough is too sticky to work with, add in some more flour (but do not over knead).
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a round loaf. Then transfer dough to a large, lightly greased cast-iron skillet or a baking sheet. Using a serrated knife, score top of dough about ½'' deep in an "X" shape.
Transfer to oven and bake until bread is golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped with a knife, about 35-40 minutes. Cool and serve at room temperature.
Recipe by In Good Taste at https://ingoodtaste.kitchen/they-re-always-after-me-lucky-charms/