Ingredients
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon), for sprinkling
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1/2 cup rolled oats on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until light golden and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool then transfer to a food processor; process until finely ground. Add flour, sugar, coarse salt, and pepper; pulse until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Add 3 tablespoons cold water and pulse until dough just comes together, adding up to an additional tablespoon as needed.
Turn dough out onto plastic wrap, shape into a rectangle and wrap in plastic. Chill for 45 minutes. Transfer chilled dough to a sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup oats and roll into a 10-by-12-inch rectangle. Using a fluted pastry wheel, cut into thirty-two 2 1/2-by-1 1/2-inch rectangles. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. If dough becomes soft, chill for 15 minutes.
Arrange bars an-inch apart on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until golden, 28 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
