Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add in vanilla and salt..
Add in flour ½ cup at a time until the dough comes together.
Shape the dough into a log, then wrap in parchment paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour. To keep the dough from flattening out on the bottom, we wrap a thick dish towel around the cookie dough log.
Optional: spread out 2 tablespoons of coarse sugar on a large plate. Roll the cookie dough log in sugar to coat.
Use a sharp knife to slice the cookies, about ½-inch thickness.
Transfer cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-11 minutes, until the bottom edges of the cookies just start to brown. Remove from oven and let cool.