As a young commis chef, occupying the lowliest rung on the kitchen ladder, the approach of St Patrick's Day carried an air of impending doom.

Half the chefs in the kitchen of the swanky London restaurant where I worked at the time were from Ireland. They were not going to miss the celebrations, which they marked with focused dedication, starting with Guinness in the morning and not really calling it a day until the following lunchtime. They would simply disappear from work, only emerging the next day, crawling like tortoises from hibernation. The rest of us just had to cope.

These days, St Patrick's is a less stressful landmark, offering a chance at home to cook something with vaguely Irish roots. I'm not against a pint of the black stuff either, although I don't disappear for two days to enjoy it. Having said that, this year might be different: we have friends coming over from Dublin this weekend. My hollow legs are ready, as well as a taste of Ireland to make them feel at home.

I have my first ever loaf of soda bread cooling on a wire rack. The enticing aroma is making me long to cut into it. Having never cooked it before, I have been shocked at just how simple it is. If you think you can't make bread, this is for you. The main decision seems to be whether to use buttermilk or not. Otherwise, the only choice is how long to wait before tucking in.

Soda bread

Makes 1 loaf

450g plain flour

1 teaspoon sugar (optional: you can omit this if you prefer sugar free soda bread)

1 level teaspoon salt

1 heaped teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Between 200-300ml buttermilk, or soured milk, to mix

A note on buttermilk and soured milk: buttermilk is the traditional liquid used as it works to activate the bicarbonate of soda, I am reliably informed. Alternatively, you can artificially sour milk by adding a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to two cups of milk and wait 15 minutes or so for it to sour.

Or, even simpler still, you can use plain milk, in which case you should add 1 level teaspoon of baking powder with the dry items.

Method

1 Pre-heat the oven to 210C/gas mark 7 and place a baking sheet in the oven to heat.

2 Sift the dry ingredients together into a bowl through a fine sieve then gently stir for at least two minutes to ensure the bicarbonate of soda is evenly distributed.

3 Put the sifted dry ingredients in a big bowl (you want stirring room) and make a well in the centre. Pour about three-quarters of the buttermilk, sour milk or plain milk in, and start stirring with your fingers to combine. You are trying to achieve a dough that is very soft, but it will still have a few small lumps of flour and dry ingredients mixed through. It will not be totally smooth. The lumps should look dryish and "floury", while still being extremely squishy if you poke them. Add more liquid, sparingly, if you think you need it. (You may need more or less according to conditions: local humidity and temperature, the absorptivity of the flour will all have an impact on how much liquid is needed)

4 Blend the mixture in the bowl quickly but not too energetically as this can cause the dough to be overworked. One minute should be enough until the whole mass of dough has become this combined, soft consistency. If there are a few lumps in it, this is fine.

5 Then turn the contents of the bowl out immediately onto a lightly floured board or work surface, and start to knead. The main goal is speed: the chemical reaction of the bicarb with the buttermilk or milk has already started, as soon as they met, and you want to get the bread into the oven while the reaction is still running. Don't over knead: You do not want the traditional "smooth, elastic" ball of dough you would expect with a yeast bread. You simply want one that contains almost everything that went into the bowl, in one mostly cohesive lump. Half a minute kneading is ample. Fifteen seconds may well be enough, because you don't want to develop the gluten in the flour at all, or you may end up with a tough loaf. Don't be concerned if the dough is somewhat sticky: flour your hands, and the dough, and keep going as quickly as you can

6 Now form the loaf. Roll the dough in to a slightly domed round or flat hemisphere about 6-8 inches in diameter. Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and dust lightly with flour then place the dough in the centre of this tray. Then use a sharp knife and cut a cross right across the top. The cuts should go about halfway down through the sides of the loaf, so that it will "flower" properly.

7 Return the baking sheet into the preheated oven. Handle it lightly and don't jar it: the Co2 bubbles in the dough are vulnerable at this point of the process. Leave the bread alone, and don't peek at it! It should bake for 45 minutes at 210C/gas mark 7. (My Irish friend suggests you give it the first 10 minutes at 210C, then decrease to 200C.)

At the end of 45 minutes, pick up the loaf and tap the bottom. A hollow-ish sound means it's done. For a very crunchy crust, put on a rack to cool. For a softer crust, wrap the loaf in a clean towel as soon as it comes out of the oven. Leave to cool before slicing and serving.

Cheese and scallion scones

Makes 6-8 scones, depending on the size of cutter used

225g self raising flour

55g cold butter, cut into small cubes

1 level tsp baking powder

50g grated cheese plus 50g extra for sprinkling

1/2 tsp dry mustard powder

½ tsp salt

150ml milk

1 egg beaten with a little milk, for egg wash

Preparation:

1 Heat the oven to 205C/Gas 6

2 Generously grease a baking sheet with butter then sprinkle with flour. Sieve the self raising flour into a bowl, add the diced butter, the baking powder and salt. Quickly rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

3 Add the grated cheese and dry mustard powder to the mixture and toss through briefly with a fork.

4 Make a well in the centre of the mixture. Using a dinner knife, stir in enough milk to make a soft, pliable dough. If you add too much milk, sprinkle with a little flour to prevent the dough from being too sticky.

5 Turn the mixture out on to a floured board or work surface and knead very lightly until just smooth then lightly roll out to 2cm thick.

6 Cut rounds with a 7.5cm/3in cutter or cut into triangles with a sharp knife. Place on the baking tray and brush with the beaten egg and milk mixture. Sprinkle with grated cheese then bake near the top of the hot oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown and well risen.

Cool on a wire rack before eating.

Serve split across the middle and spread with butter.