Béchamel
Butter, flour, milk: equal parts fat and flour, and the milk added in three batches.
- Preparation
- 5 min
- Cook/bake time
- 15 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
Butter, flour, milk: equal parts fat and flour, and the milk added in three batches. The mother of all white sauces is the foundation for lasagna, casseroles, Croque Monsieur, and gratins. Once you master making it without lumps, you will never need a store-bought sauce again.
Why this works
Lumps form because flour in water immediately gelatinizes on the outside and traps the dry center. The butter prevents exactly this: it coats each starch granule individually so that the milk reaches them all at the same time. This is why you need equal parts fat and flour, because less butter means the coating is incomplete. Foaming the roux for two minutes serves a second purpose: it removes the raw taste from the flour without it taking on color, which would make the sauce gray. The milk is added in three batches instead of all at once because a small amount of liquid can be stirred in without lumps, and the next batch then flows into an already finished emulsion. Starch only reaches its full binding power at around 95 degrees, which is why the sauce must come to a boil once.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Start the roux
Melt the butter over medium heat until it foams but does not brown. Sprinkle the flour in all at once and whisk it in to form a smooth, sandy paste.
- 2
Let foam for two minutes
Let the mixture foam for two minutes while stirring without letting it take on color. It will then smell like pastry instead of raw flour. If it turns brown, the sauce will later be gray and bind poorly, as browning destroys some of the starch.
- 3
Milk in three batches
Pour in one third of the milk and stir vigorously until the mixture is smooth and thick. Only then add the second third, followed by the last. This is exactly where everything is decided: if poured all at once, the whisk can no longer catch the lumps. Room temperature milk makes it even easier.
- 4
Boil and season
Let the sauce come to a boil once and then simmer for five minutes over low heat, stirring repeatedly from the bottom. Starch only binds completely at around 95 degrees, so without this boiling, the sauce remains thin and tastes floury. Season to taste with salt, nutmeg, and white pepper.
Our best tips
- Always weigh fat and flour in equal parts. A 50 to 50 ratio results in a sauce that coats the back of a spoon, while 60 to 40 results in one that lumps.
