Bechamel sauce is the standard white sauce used in many dishes like lasagne, mornay, and au gratin. This Bechamel sauce recipe is easy to make, is one of the main staple sauces you will use in your kitchen!
What is Bechamel Sauce?
Bechamel sauce or Besciamella is an Italian white sauce made from butter, milk, and flour. This creamy sauce is used in many dishes, including: lasagne, mornay, cannelloni, and au gratin. Depending on the dish, this creamy sauce varies in consistency.
Although you can buy ready-made bechamel sauce, I prefer making my own at home. I find that homemade recipe is so much tastier and cost effective than store bought ones. In addition, an added bonus is that this recipe is extremely quick and easy to make.
Ingredients
Bechamel sauce is a very simple sauce to make. It requires only 3 basic ingredients: butter, flour, and milk.
In this recipe, I’ve added a few optional ingredients to make this the yummiest white sauce ever!
The main ingredients in this sauce are:
Butter I like to use unsalted butter, and add salt to the sauce separately. This way, I am able to control the saltiness of my sauce. However, if you choose to use salted butter, you won’t need to add extra salt.
Flour All-purpose flour (aka plain flour), when combined and cooked with melted butter, will produce a roux. This ingredient is essential to give this sauce its thickness and creaminess.
Milk I used whole cow’s milk in this recipe. Feel free to use any unsweetened milk you have in your fridge. Also, if you do find your sauce to be a little thick in consistency, stir in a little more milk at time, until your desired consistency is reached.
Salt As mentioned above, only add extra salt if you are using unsalted butter.
To add more flavour to your bechamel sauce, try adding some:
- Ground nutmeg
- Garlic powder
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
How to make Bechamel Sauce?
In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Sift in the flour and mix quickly with a whisk until the mixture is smooth and without lumps.
Cook the mixture for about 1 minute, allowing the flour to absorb the butter fats, making it tastier. This mixture is called roux, and it should have a nice golden colour.
While stirring vigorously with a whisk, slowly pour in the milk. Once all the milk has been added to the roux, continue to stir the mixture until it thickens in consistency (approximately 10-15 minutes). This bechamel sauce is ready when it sticks to the back of a wooden spoon.
At this point, you may add a little more flour if you would like your bechamel sauce to have a thicker consistency, or add a little more milk to make it thinner. Finally, stir in the salt, nutmeg, and cheese.
How to store Bechamel Sauce?
The great thing about this recipe is that it can be made ahead of time.
Once you’ve made your sauce, transfer it into a heat-resistant airtight container.
Cover the sauce with cling wrap, making sure that it is in contact with the sauce. This step will prevent a dense layer to form on the top, which will result in clumpy bechamel sauce later on.
Now, leave the sauce to cool on your counter top. Once cooled, place a lid on the container and store the sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Alternatively, store your sauce in the freezer for up to 1 month.
How to reheat Bechamel Sauce?
If you have made your bechamel sauce in advance, you may want to reheat the sauce before using it. To do so, simply transfer the sauce into a saucepan, and place it over a low heat. With the help of some stirring, this white sauce should return to its smooth and creamy texture. At this point, you can add a few splashes of milk to loosen the sauce a little more.
How to make a Vegan Bechamel Sauce?
To make a vegan bechamel sauce, simply replace the butter with olive oil, and cow’s milk you’re your preferred plant-based milk.
Clumpy Bechamel Sauce
Sometimes, the inevitable happens and you’re left with some clumpy white sauce. Fret not! We can do some troubleshooting. Simply strain your clumpy sauce through a colander. This should get rid of at least most of the clumps.
Tips to get the perfect consistency
The consistency of your bechamel sauce will vary, depending on the dish you are making. For example, you will need a thicker sauce if you are making a tuna mornay, as compared to the sauce you will need if you are making a lasagna.
The rule-of-thumb is to make sure the butter and flour are always of the same weight. From there, you can add as much or as little milk, until you’ve reached the desired consistency.
This particular recipe make a classic bechamel sauce, with an average density. Here are my suggestions to vary its density:
- Runny bechamel: 30g flour + 30g butter
- Classic bechamel: 50g flour + 50g butter
- Thick bechamel: 70g flour + 70g butter
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Easy Bechamel Sauce
Ingredients
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 100 g plain flour
- 4 cups milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg optional
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder optional
- 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese optional
Instructions
To make the roux
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
- Sift in the flour and mix quickly with a whisk until the mixture is smooth and without lumps.
- Cook this mixture for about 1 minute or until a nice golden colour is formed, allowing the flour to absorb the butter fats, making it tastier.
To make the sauce
- While stirring vigorously with a whisk, slowly pour in the milk into the roux.
- Once all the milk has been added to the roux, continue to stir the mixture until it thickens in consistency (approximately 10-15minutes). The bechamel sauce is ready when it sticks to the back of a wooden spoon. At this point, you may add a little more flour if you wouldlike your bechamel sauce to have a thicker consistency, or add a little moremilk for a thinner bechamel sauce.
- Finally, stir in the salt, nutmeg, garlic powder, and cheese.
