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1
Heat the oven to 325 degrees F and arrange the racks to divide the oven into thirds.
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2
Whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together in a medium bowl until aerated and combined; set aside.
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3
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
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4
Beat on medium speed until lightened in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
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5
Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle with a rubber spatula.
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6
Add the egg, vanilla, and water, return the mixer to medium speed, and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute (the mixture will look curdled).
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7
Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until just combined.
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8
Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle with the rubber spatula.
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9
Return the mixer to low speed, add the pecans, and mix until just combined.
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10
Form the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on 2 ungreased baking sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart (about 22 per sheet).
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11
Using your hands, gently flatten the balls into disks about 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches wide.
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12
(The cookies will not spread while they bake, so they can be fairly close to each other.)
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13
Place both sheets in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
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14
Rotate the sheets from front to back and top to bottom and bake until the edges of the cookies are just starting to brown, about 10 to 12 minutes more.
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15
Using a flat spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
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16
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
