Irish Soda Bread is the world's easiest, fastest loaf to make - no proving, no hanging about. Bought from local bakeries it's often (wrongly) a yeast-based confection of sweet dough studded with raisins. Here is EatWashingtonian Elisabeth Nicholson's authentic recipe, from the Tyrone Guthrie artsplace in Co. Monaghan, which she says is "DEAD easy".

2 cups strong brown flour; 1 1/2 cups white flour; 1 1/4 cups bran; handful of porridge oats; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp baking  powder; 1 ounce butter; 2 cups buttermilk.

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix all the dry ingredients. Rub in the butter till it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Stir in buttermilk. Mix well. Form into a round shape, and flatten a bit. Cut a deep cross in it - but not to the bottom! Bake for 10 minutes. Lower heat to 300F for a further 25 minutes. The loaf should sound hollow when tapped. Wrap in a tea-towel and cool on a rack.

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