Oatcake bars

Ingredients

• ¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1½ cups plain (all-purpose) flour
• ¾ cup packed light-brown sugar
• ¾ tsp coarse salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 170 g (¾ cup/1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 45-60 ml cold water
• Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon), for sprinkling

Chilling time: 45 minutes.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Spread ½ cup rolled oats on a rimmed baking tray (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.
2. 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.
3. Turn dough out onto plastic wrap, shape into a rectangle and wrap in plastic. Chill for 45 minutes.
4. Transfer chilled dough to a sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup oats and roll into a 25 cm x 30 cm (10 in x by 12 in) rectangle. Using a fluted pastry wheel, cut into thirty-two 6 cm x 4cm (2½ in x 1½ in) rectangles. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. If dough becomes soft, chill for 15 minutes.
5. Arrange bars 2.5 cm (1 inch) apart on two parchment-lined baking trays (sheets). Bake until golden, 28 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.