Despite the funny french name that makes it sound way fancier than it is, Bechamel is just the most basic white sauce. But “basic white sauce” doesn’t have the same ring to it, so we will keep with the fancy french name. Either way, memorize how to make this creamy sauce base, as it is the starting point for at least 5 other sauces.
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Why I Love This Recipe?
Basic ingredients, basic method, and quick preparation. Bechamel is a 3 ingredient wonder which preps in five minutes. Good by itself, I like that it can transform into a number of different sauces with further ingredients.
A good sauce makes all the difference.
Kyle E.
Ingredients & Equipment
Ingredients
- Butter: 3T butter makes 1/2 of the roux needed for this sauce. Use quality salted butter to season this sauce from the start.
- Flour: All-purpose flour makes the second 1/2 of the roux. We aren’t toasting this roux dark at all, so it comes together very quickly.
- Milk: We have 2% milk on hand all the time, so that’s what I use. Whole milk will make it creamier, skim milk will make a thinner sauce. I don’t recommend skim milk for cooking.
Equipment
- Skillet: I use a saute pan for almost everything, but it’s essentially a skillet. Something with a heavy bottom to avoid hot spots is essential, so invest in a quality pan from the start.
- Whisk: Some recommend a whisk for starting a roux, although it’s not essential. It’s great for initially mixing the roux, but it is inferior to the roux paddle for finishing the roux.
- Roux Paddle: I find myself using this more and more. It is great for scraping the whole sauce around the pan to avoid any of it sitting still and burning. Also great for scraping up brown bits in a soup.
Preparation
Making a Bechamel (Simple White Sauce)
- Start by heating your butter over medium-low heat. Stir to melt the butter. I find this a bit of a calming activity, just sitting there swirling butter until it’s gone.
- Once the butter is melted, sprinkle the flour over and stir to combine. The goal is a watery paste, not soup, not play-doh.
- The roux will bubble, fizzle, and then start to brown. Using the low heat, the chances of burning it are low, so that’s good. For a white sauce, you want to keep from browning it but you
- When it starts to fizzle (small bubbles) add the milk. Stir the milk until it combines with the roux. Heat it through until bubbling, and remove from heat when it reaches the desired consistency. I suggest aiming for a bit thinner sauce than you are used to, as it will thicken as it cools.
Congratulations, you now know how to make THE basic white sauce. Alone this sauce is delicious and exceptionally smooth, like velvet. The best part is now you can pivot this sauce to a lot of different sauces. The versatility to key
Bechamel: Easy Traditional White Sauce
Equipment
- Saute Pan or Skillet
- Whisk
- Roux Paddle
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp Butter Salted
- 3 Tbsp Flour
- 2 Cups Milk Not skim
Instructions
- In a pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter.
- Once melted, sprinkle the flour over the butter and whisk to combine. It shouldn't be clumpy, if it is, add a bit more butter.
- With the roux paddle, keep stirring as it heats and it should bubble, then foam. For this white sauce, we are not toasting the flour, so add the milk (2C) after the foam subsides.
- Whisk as the milk heats and thickens. It is ready to use once thickened. Enjoy!
Nutrition
One of the five mother sauces, bechamel sauce is the simplest white sauce and the base of most french cream sauces. Made from simply butter, flour, and milk; this silky sauce is the ultimate flavor vehicle. Many flavors can be added to the sauce to make a silky cream sauce for many different dishes.
You adjust the thickness of a white sauce (bechamel) by adjusting the ratio of roux to liquid. Our recipe uses 3T roux per cup of milk, which makes a sauce approaching gravy thickness. If we add a bit more liquid, it should thin out. The one thing you cant add is flour after you have heated the liquid, so I opt to overthicken and thin down the sauce if needed.
Yes, you can freeze a bechamel sauce. Freeze the sauce in 1-2 cup portions and seal the container well. To reheat, place the portion in a small sauce pan and thaw over low heat, whisk vigorously when it is completely melted.
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