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Béchamel Sauce
sauce

Béchamel Sauce

Classic white sauce built on a butter + flour roux, with the milk added in three parts. Base recipe 30-30-300 — scales by the 10-10-100 ratio.

Prep
5min
Cook
15min
Total
20min
Serves
4

Prep 5 min · Cook 15 min · Total 20 min · Serves 4

easy
#sauce#base-recipe#roux#french#bechamel

Flow

One pan, one roux. Melt the butter, cook the flour briefly (it should smell like biscuits, not colour), and add the milk in three parts — waiting each time until it’s absorbed. The arrows tell you when to move on.

Steps

  1. Melt 30 g butter in a pan over medium heat.
  2. Add 30 g flour and cook briefly until it smells like biscuits — don’t let it brown.
  3. Add 1/3 of the milk and stir until it forms a ball.
  4. Add the 2nd part of the milk and whisk with a whisk or spatula until the milk is absorbed.
  5. Add the last part of the milk and stir until there are no lumps left.
  6. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Notes

  • Ratio 10-10-100 (butter-flour-milk, in grams). 30-30-300 is enough for a bake for 4; scale as needed.
  • For a smooth sauce: add the milk in parts and keep stirring. Lumps? Whisk vigorously — they’ll disappear.
  • Variation: stir in grated cheese for a cheese sauce (Mornay), or add mustard or herbs.