How to Make Bechamel Sauce

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Bechamel sauce is a classic French sauce made from butter, flour, and milk. It's a versatile sauce that forms the base for most creamy sauces, gratins, macaroni and cheese, and many other dishes. Read on to learn how to make this delicious sauce.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch nutmeg

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:
Getting the Ingredients Ready

1
Measure the ingredients. The ratio of milk to flour to butter is very important in Bechamel sauce since the texture and flavor of the sauce relies on only these three ingredients. Be sure to use exact measurements: 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) butter, 4 1/2 tablespoons flour, and 3 cups milk.^{[1]
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- If you prefer a thicker sauce, scale back the milk by 1/2 cup. For a more liquid sauce, add 1/2 cup milk.
- Using full-fat milk will result in a thicker sauce than using low fat or skim milk.
2
Warm the milk. Pour the milk into a small saucepan. Set it on a burner and turn the heat to medium-low. Warm the milk thoroughly, but do not let it boil. Remove the milk from heat when it is warm and cover.^{[2]
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- If you prefer, you can heat the milk in the microwave. Use a low setting and heat the milk for 1 minute. Check to see if it is heated; if not, place it back in the microwave and heat it for another minute.
- If the milk comes to a boil, it's best to start over with new milk, since this can affect the flavor.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:
Making the Roux

1
Melt the butter. Place the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Heat the butter until it is completely melted, but do not let it brown.
2
Add the flour. Place all of the flour at once into the pan with the butter. It will clump up at first. Stir it with a wooden spoon to remove the clumps and create a smooth mixture.^{[3]
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3
Cook the roux. Continue cooking the roux over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. As you cook, the roux will begin to darken. It's ready when it reaches a golden hue; this is called "blond" roux.^{[4]
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- Don't let the roux get brown, as this will affect the flavor and color of the bechamel sauce.
- If necessary, turn the heat down to low so that the roux doesn't cook too quickly.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:
Finishing the Sauce

1
Add one tablespoon of milk. Mix it in quickly to moisten the roux. Be sure to distribute it well throughout the roux; the mixture should now be slightly wet, but not runny.
2
Whisk in the remaining milk. Slowly pour the remaining milk into the pan with one hand while whisking with the other hand. Continue pouring and whisking until the milk is gone, then keep stirring for a few more minutes.
3
Season the bechamel sauce with the nutmeg. The thick, creamy, white sauce that remains may be seasoned with salt and pepper. Pour it over steamed vegetables or rice and serve immediately, or use it as the base for another dish.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:
Using Bechamel Sauce

1
Make macaroni and cheese. After making the bechamel sauce, add a few cups of cheddar cheese, whisking until it is melted. Pour the cheese over cooked macaroni noodles, then transfer to a baking dish. Top with more shredded cheese and bake in the oven until the top is bubbly and brown.^{[5]
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2
Make potato gratin. Pour the bechamel sauce over thinly sliced potatoes and diced green onions in a baking dish. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven until the potatoes are crispy and the sauce and cheese are bubbling.
3
Make a cheese soufflé. Mix the bechamel sauce with beaten eggs, cheese and spices. Pour into a soufflé dish and bake until the top browns and puffs.^{[6]
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Community Q&A

Question

Can it be frozen in a lasagna?

Community Answer

Yes, it can be frozen once cooked in a lasagna and reheated in the oven or the microwave when needed. The consistency may change.
Question

Can Bechamel sauce be made, then refrigerated or frozen for use later? Or is it really best used freshly-made?

Eviejane26

Community Answer

Bechamel sauce is best used fresh, but you can refrigerate it for four or five days after making. If you do that, make sure you put plastic wrap on top of the sauce directly in contact with it, so a layer of skin does not form. Also be sure to cool the sauce quickly after making for the part you are going to refrigerate.
Question

Is bechamel sauce a coating sauce?

Community Answer

Yes, though it is typically used as a base for other sauces.
Question

Is it a good sauce to make for scalloped potatoes?

Priscille Bene

Community Answer

Yes, absolutely. This is a very good sauce for scalloped potatoes.
Question

How do I make one liter of bechamel sauce?

Community Answer

Keep the ratio of the ingredients the same while converting the liquid volume over to a liter. The flour and spices will have a negligible volume, so that’s not important to factor in. So, there are 16 tablespoons in a cup, so that’s 2 tablespoons of butter for every 48 teaspoons of milk, or a 1:24 ratio. So for every liter of sauce you make, there will be 25 parts, and one of those parts must be butter. In the end, you have 24/25 liter milk, 1/25 liter butter, a volume of flour that is two and a half times more than whatever volume the butter comes out to, and spices to taste.
Question

Can I use ghee to make bechamel sauce? Do I need to sift the flour first?

Community Answer

If you use ghee, you’ll be missing out on the nice nutty flavor that you get from cooking milk solids. Your roux will have much less flavor and won’t brown correctly, so I’d use butter instead. The flour will become a thick and lumpy paste as soon as you add it to the butter even if you do sift it, so only go through that step if you are sure that your flour is unusually clumped together. Most small lumps will work out of the roux as you stir it.
Question

Can I use margarine instead of butter when making bechamel sauce?

Community Answer

If your margarine doesn’t have milk solids, it will not brown in the roux and won’t have the flavor you want. Even if it does have some milk solids, it will still be inferior to butter.
Question

Is a roux ratio always equal parts fat and flour?

Community Answer

No, it’s not. Here the butter is slightly less than half the volume of the flour.