Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).
• In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and packed brown sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Measure the 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and the 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside 1/2 cup of the flour for dusting/rolling and whisk the salt into the remaining 4 cups of flour.
• With the mixer on low, add the 4-cup flour-and-salt mixture to the creamed butter and sugar in about 1-cup additions, mixing until just combined after each addition. Stop when the dough comes together and no large streaks of flour remain.
• Turn the dough onto your work surface and use the reserved 1/2 cup flour to lightly dust the surface and the dough. Knead the dough a few times until it holds together.
• Roll the dough with a rolling pin to an even thickness of about 1/4 to 1/2 inch.
• Use a 2-inch cookie cutter (or shortbread cutter) to cut shapes. Prick the tops of each cookie a few times with a fork or toothpick and transfer them to ungreased baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
• Bake at 325°F (165°C) for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cookies are set but not browned.
• Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.