Easy White Sauce (Béchamel) - No Lumps Perfect Recipe

Learn how to make the best béchamel sauce without lumps! This classic white sauce is the base for so many delicious dishes - cauliflower cheese, lasagne, leeks in white sauce, garlic mushroom sauce for chicken parmy, and loads more. Once you've mastered this simple technique, you'll use it again and again. The secret? Add the milk slowly, bit by bit, and don't rush it. Follow this method and you'll get smooth, creamy, lump-free white sauce every single time!

Recipe Details:

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Makes: 500ml (enough for 4-6 servings)
• Difficulty: Easy
• Special Equipment: Saucepan, whisk or wooden spoon, sieve

White sauce (or béchamel, if we're being fancy!) is one of those foundational recipes that every cook should know. It's the starting point for cauliflower cheese, mac and cheese, lasagne, creamy pasta sauces, and so many other comforting dishes. The beauty of this recipe is that it's incredibly simple, just butter, flour, and milk but the technique matters. By infusing the milk with aromatics first, you're building in layers of flavour from the start. Then it's all about making a roux (butter and flour cooked together) and adding the milk gradually. The key to lump-free sauce is patience, add the milk little by little, incorporating each addition fully before adding more. Don't be tempted to rush it! Each time you add milk, whisk or beat it in properly so there are no lumps. Once you've got this technique down, you can adapt it endlessly - add cheese for a cheese sauce, mustard for a tangy version, herbs for extra flavour. It's one of those skills that opens up so many possibilities in the kitchen!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• No lumps guaranteed: Follow this method and you'll get smooth sauce every time
• Infused with flavour: Warming the milk with aromatics adds beautiful depth
• Base for so many dishes: Use it in cauliflower cheese, lasagne, pasta bakes, and more
• Simple ingredients: Just butter, flour, and milk - that's it!
• Essential cooking skill: Once learned, you'll use this technique forever
• Endlessly adaptable: Add cheese, herbs, mustard, or whatever you fancy!

Ingredients

For the White Sauce:

• 50g butter
• 50g plain flour
• 500ml whole milk

For Infusing the Milk:

• 1 clove garlic, bashed
• ½ small onion (no need to chop it)
• Few sprigs fresh thyme
• Small sprinkle of black peppercorns (about 5-6)

For Seasoning:

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Infuse the milk: Pour the milk into a small saucepan and add the bashed garlic clove, half onion, thyme sprigs, and peppercorns. Place over low-medium heat and warm gently for about 5 minutes. You don't want it to boil - just get it warm and let all those lovely flavours infuse into the milk. This step adds so much depth to your white sauce!

2. Make the roux: While the milk is infusing, melt the butter in a separate medium saucepan over low heat. Once melted, add the flour and stir well with a wooden spoon or whisk. Cook this mixture (called a roux) on low heat for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. You want it to cook out that raw flour taste but not let it brown - keep it pale and blonde. This step is important for preventing that floury taste in your finished sauce.

3. Strain the milk: After 5 minutes of infusing, strain the milk through a sieve into a jug or bowl. Discard the garlic, onion, thyme, and peppercorns - you've got all the flavour you need now!

4. Add milk gradually - SLOWLY! This is the most important step! Add the infused milk to your roux a little bit at a time. Start with just a couple of tablespoons. Whisk or beat it in really well until it's completely smooth and incorporated. Then add another small amount. Keep doing this, bit by bit, making sure each addition is fully combined before adding more. Don't be tempted to rush it and pour all the milk in at once - this is how lumps happen!

5. Keep whisking: As you add more milk, the sauce will gradually loosen and become smoother. Keep whisking between each addition. You're building a smooth, silky sauce slowly and steadily. It might feel like it's taking ages, but this patience is what creates perfect, lump-free sauce!

6. Add remaining milk: Once you've added about half the milk and the sauce is looking smooth and lovely, you can be a bit braver and add larger amounts at a time. But still whisk well between each addition! Add all the remaining milk, whisking constantly.

7. Bring to a bubble: Once all the milk is incorporated, turn the heat up to medium and bring the sauce to a gentle boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk. You need to stir continuously to prevent it catching and burning on the bottom. As it heats, it will thicken up beautifully.

8. Cook until thickened: Keep stirring and let it bubble gently for 2-3 minutes. The sauce should thicken to the point where it coats the back of a spoon. Run your finger through the sauce on the spoon - if it leaves a clear line, it's ready! The flour taste should be completely gone now.

9. Taste and season: Give it a taste - it should be smooth, creamy, and have no raw flour taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remember, if you're using this in a dish with other salty ingredients (like cheese), go easy on the salt!

10. Use immediately or keep warm: Your white sauce is ready to use! If you're not using it straight away, place a piece of cling film or greaseproof paper directly on the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin forming.

Chef's Tips

Patience is everything: Add the milk slowly! This is the single most important thing for lump-free sauce.

Keep whisking: Between each milk addition, whisk or beat really well. This prevents lumps forming.

Use whole milk: Full-fat milk creates the creamiest, richest sauce. 

Cook the roux properly: That 2-3 minutes of cooking the butter and flour removes the raw flour taste. Don't rush this step!

Stir constantly at the end: Once the sauce is heating up, stir continuously to prevent burning on the bottom.

The spoon test: When the sauce coats the back of a spoon and leaves a clear line when you run your finger through it, it's ready.

Infuse the milk: Don't skip this step! Those aromatics add beautiful depth of flavour.

Room temperature butter: Softened butter is easier to work with when making the roux.

Prevent skin forming: If not using immediately, press cling film directly onto the surface.

Variations & Add-Ins

Cheese sauce (Mornay): Add 100-150g grated cheddar, gruyère, or parmesan at the end. Stir until melted.

Mustard sauce: Stir in 1-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard for a tangy kick - brilliant with fish or ham.

Herb sauce: Add fresh chopped parsley, chives, or dill at the end.

Garlic mushroom sauce: Sauté sliced mushrooms and minced garlic, then stir into the finished white sauce.

Parsley sauce: Add a good handful of chopped fresh parsley - classic with fish!

Onion sauce: Finely dice the onion used for infusing, sauté it separately, and add to the finished sauce.

Bay leaf infusion: Add a bay leaf along with the other aromatics for extra flavour.

Uses for White Sauce

Cauliflower cheese: Pour over boiled cauliflower, top with more cheese, and grill until golden.

Lasagne: Layer between pasta sheets, meat sauce, and cheese.

Mac and cheese: Stir through cooked macaroni with loads of cheese.

Leeks in white sauce: Cook sliced leeks, cover with white sauce, and bake.

Fish pie: Mix with cooked fish and top with mashed potato.

Croque monsieur: Use as the base for this classic French sandwich.

Chicken and mushroom pie: Mix with cooked chicken and mushrooms as the filling.

Moussaka: Layer with aubergines and lamb mince.

Vegetable bakes: Use as the sauce base for any vegetable gratin.

Storage & Reheating

Keep warm: If using within an hour, keep warm over very low heat with cling film pressed on the surface.

Refrigerator: Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Press cling film directly onto the surface to prevent a skin.

Reheating: Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat, whisking constantly. You may need to add a splash of milk to loosen it.

Freezing: White sauce freezes well! Freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.

Prevent skin forming: Always press cling film or greaseproof paper directly onto the surface if storing.

Whisk when reheating: Give it a good whisk when reheating to bring back that smooth, creamy texture.

Troubleshooting

Q: My sauce has lumps. Help! A: Push it through a fine sieve, or use a stick blender to blitz it smooth. Next time, add the milk more slowly!

Q: My sauce is too thick. A: Whisk in a little more milk, a splash at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

Q: There's a skin on top. A: This happens when the sauce is exposed to air. Just stir it back in, or next time press cling film directly onto the surface.

Q: It tastes floury. A: You didn't cook the roux long enough or didn't bring the sauce to a proper bubble. Cook it longer, stirring constantly.

Q: It caught and burned on the bottom. A: The heat was too high or you didn't stir enough. Immediately transfer to a clean pan, leaving the burnt bits behind.

Q: Can I use plain water instead of milk? A: That would be a velouté, not a béchamel! You need milk for white sauce.

Q: My roux went brown. A: The heat was too high. It should stay pale blonde. But just so long as it isn't burnt you will have more of a beurre noisette taste to your white sauce which is just as tasty.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What's the difference between white sauce and béchamel? A: They're the same thing! Béchamel is just the fancy French name for white sauce.

Q: Can I use margarine instead of butter? A: Butter tastes much better, but margarine will work if that's all you have.

Q: Do I have to infuse the milk? A: It adds lovely flavour, but if you're short on time, you can skip it and just use plain warm milk.

Q: Can I make this dairy-free? A: Yes! Use dairy-free butter and your choice of plant milk. Oat milk or soya milk work well.

Q: Why do I need to cook the roux for 2-3 minutes? A: This cooks out the raw flour taste. Without this step, your sauce can taste pasty and unpleasant.

Q: Can I make this ahead? A: Yes! Make it up to 3 days ahead and store covered in the fridge. Reheat gently, whisking well.

Q: What if I don't have a whisk? A: A wooden spoon works fine! Just make sure you beat the mixture really well after each milk addition.

Q: How do I know when it's thick enough? A: It should coat the back of a spoon. When you run your finger through the sauce on the spoon, it should leave a clear line.

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Easy Veggie Pasta Bake - This is an easy budget friendly dinner, and totally customizable. 

Enjoy!

Del x

This classic white sauce (béchamel) is such an essential recipe to have in your repertoire! It's the base for cauliflower cheese, lasagne, mac and cheese, and so many other delicious dishes. The key to perfect, lump-free sauce is adding the milk slowly and patiently. Once you've mastered this technique, you'll use it again and again!