Skip to main content
Epicurious

Béchamel Sauce

4.6

(188)

Bechamel sauce in a pan with flour and butter on the side.
Photo by Shutterstock

Making béchamel sauce used to be one of the first lessons in home economics classes; invariably white and pasty, it coated many a bland dish. When well made, however, this classic white sauce has a proper place in homey, creamed dishes, often making leftovers stretch or giving cooked foods new life. And it is important as a base for soufflés. The French term for this medium-thick white sauce is béchamel. The foolproof way to attain a perfectly smooth sauce is to have the milk hot when added to the butter and flour. It uses an extra pot, but as you become more proficient, this cautionary measure may not be necessary.

This recipe was adapted for style from ‘The Fannie Farmer Cookbook’ by Marion Cunningham. Buy the full book on Amazon.

All products featured on Epicurious are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1¼ cups whole milk, heated
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Warm the milk on low heat until little bubbles form at the edges; remove from heat.

    Step 2

    Melt 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don't let it brown, about 2 minutes. Slowly add 1¼ cups whole milk, heated, whisking to incorporate. Bring it to a boil, stirring constantly, as sauce thickens. Add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Reduce to low heat, and cook, stirring, 2–3 minutes more. Remove from the heat.

    Do ahead: To cool this sauce for later use, cover it with wax paper or pour a layer of milk over it to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

    VARIATION:

    Cheese Sauce: Stir in ½ cup grated cheddar cheese during the last 2 minutes of cooking, along with a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Cover of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook 1996 edition.
Excerpted by permission of Knopf from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook: Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of America's Great Classic Cookbook, copyright © 1996 by Marion Cunningham. All rights reserved. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.
TagsCondimentSauceFrenchEuropeanNut FreeVegetarianMeal Prep5 Ingredients or FewerQuickSimmerCookbooks

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Dulce de Leche
Make this versatile caramel at home with our slow-simmered method using milk and sugar—or take one of two sweetened condensed milk shortcuts.
Passion Fruit Curd
Tangy and sunny, this curd can be made with either fresh or frozen pulp.
Balsamic Butterscotch Sauce
Tangy-sweet and a cinch to make, balsamic butterscotch sauce is perfect for pouring over ice cream, grilled or roasted fruit, or your favorite cake.
Saffron Madeleines
You can enjoy these madeleines with just powdered sugar—or decorate them with a colorful white chocolate shell.
Easy Egg Custard
With just a handful of ingredients, this old-fashioned egg custard is the little black dress of dinner party desserts—simple and effortlessly chic.
XO Sauce
Developed in the 1980s by a chef in Hong Kong, this sauce is all about umami.
Chocolate Mousse for a Party
If there’s a more chic dessert move, we do not know it.
Brussels Sprouts Latkes
Who says latkes have to be potato? Brussels bring a delicious cruciferousness.