Béchamel Sauce

Name: Béchamel Sauce
Total time: 26 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: french
Ingredients: 500 ml Whole milk; 1 piece Bay leaf; 6 piece Black peppercorns; 40 g Unsalted butter; 40 g Plain flour; 1 pinch Nutmeg, freshly grated; 0.5 tsp Flaked sea salt; 1 pinch White pepper; as needed Cling film

23 min · 18 min active · makes ~585 ml · Medium · French

A classic French white sauce with a smooth, glossy body and gentle depth from milk infused with bay and black peppercorn. Finished with nutmeg, white pepper, and flaked sea salt, it is rich enough to coat the back of a spoon and sits at the heart of lasagne, gratin, and countless other baked dishes. Versatile, unfussy, and worth making well.

Béchamel Sauce

TOTAL TIME

23 min

ACTIVE TIME

18 min

QUANTITY

~585 ml

DIFFICULTY

Medium

CUISINE

French

Who’s eating

Ingredients0/9

Tools0/3

Ingredients

0/9 gathered · 4 servings

500ml

1piece

6piece

40g

freshly grated1pinch

0.5tsp

1pinch

as needed

#	Quantity	Notes	State
1	500ml	—	—
2	1piece	—	—
3	6piece	—	—
4	40g	—	—
5	40g	—	—
6	1pinch	freshly grated	—
7	0.5tsp	—	—
8	1pinch	—	—
9	as needed	—	—

Tools

3 items

Procedure

16 steps

1 of 16

Add the whole milk, bay leaf and black peppercorns to the saucepan

Whole milk · 500 mlBay leaf · 1 pieceBlack peppercorns · 6 piece

⏱ 10s

ResultWhole milk

2 of 16

Bring the whole milk and bay leaf and black peppercorns to a boil

Look for

rolling simmer — about 4 minutes until milk reaches a gentle simmer

medium heat

⏱ 4 min

ResultSimmering infused milk

3 of 16

Rest the simmering infused milk

leave to infuse for 5 minutes off the heat

⏱ 5 min

ResultInfused milk

4 of 16

Strain the infused milk

discard bay leaf and peppercorns; transfer to jug

ResultStrained infused milkused in step 10

5 of 16

Melt the unsalted butter

over medium-low heat

Unsalted butter · 40 g

medium-low heat

⏱ 2 min

ResultMelted butter

6 of 16

Add the plain flour to the saucepan

Plain flour · 40 g

ResultMelted butter and plain flour

7 of 16

Stir the melted butter and plain flour

Look for

cook for 2 minutes until pale and sandy, stirring constantly

medium-low heat

⏱ 2 min

ResultRoux

8 of 16

Add the strained infused milk from the small saucepan to the saucepan

Look for

one ladleful of strained infused milk, whisking constantly until fully incorporated

Strained infused milk · step 6

ResultPlain flour mixture

9 of 16

Whisk the strained infused milk and plain flour mixture

Look for

continue adding remaining milk one ladleful at a time, whisking constantly until smooth and all milk incorporated; about 3 minutes

Strained infused milk · step 6

⏱ 3 min

ResultSmooth sauce base

10 of 16

Simmer the smooth sauce base

Look for

until sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon; whisk often

low heat

⏱ 5 min

ResultThickened béchamel

11 of 16

Add the nutmeg to the saucepan

Nutmeg · 1 pinch

ResultPlain flour mixture

12 of 16

Add the flaked sea salt to the saucepan

Flaked sea salt · 0.5 tsp

ResultPlain flour mixture

13 of 16

Add the white pepper to the saucepan

stir in, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed

White pepper · 1 pinch

ResultSeasoned béchamel sauce

14 of 16

Cover the cling film

optional: press cling film directly onto the surface to prevent a skin forming if not using immediately

Cling film · as needed

ResultBéchamel Sauce

Total Time23 min

#	Product	Tool	Action
1	500 ml		Add the whole milk, bay leaf and black peppercorns to the saucepan⏱ 10sResultWhole milk
	1 piece
	6 piece
2	—	medium heat	Bring the whole milk and bay leaf and black peppercorns to a boilLook forrolling simmer — about 4 minutes until milk reaches a gentle simmer⏱ 4 minResultSimmering infused milk
3	—		Rest the simmering infused milk → leave to infuse for 5 minutes off the heat⏱ 5 minResultInfused milk
4	—		Strain the infused milk → discard bay leaf and peppercorns; transfer to jugResultStrained infused milkused in step 10
5	40 g	medium-low heat	Melt the unsalted butter → over medium-low heat⏱ 2 minResultMelted butter
6	40 g		Add the plain flour to the saucepanResultMelted butter and plain flour
7	—	medium-low heat	Stir the melted butter and plain flourLook forcook for 2 minutes until pale and sandy, stirring constantly⏱ 2 minResultRoux
8	Strained infused milk1 ladlestep 6		Add the strained infused milk from the small saucepan to the saucepanLook forone ladleful of strained infused milk, whisking constantly until fully incorporatedResultPlain flour mixture
9	Strained infused milkremaining milkstep 6		Whisk the strained infused milk and plain flour mixtureLook forcontinue adding remaining milk one ladleful at a time, whisking constantly until smooth and all milk incorporated; about 3 minutes⏱ 3 minResultSmooth sauce base
10	—	low heat	Simmer the smooth sauce baseLook foruntil sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon; whisk often⏱ 5 minResultThickened béchamel
11	1 pinch		Add the nutmeg to the saucepanResultPlain flour mixture
12	0.5 tsp		Add the flaked sea salt to the saucepanResultPlain flour mixture
13	1 pinch		Add the white pepper to the saucepan → stir in, then taste and adjust seasoning as neededResultSeasoned béchamel sauce
14	as needed		Cover the cling film → optional: press cling film directly onto the surface to prevent a skin forming if not using immediatelyResultBéchamel Sauce
Total Time			23 min

Nutrition

per serving

Estimated · pre-cooking · 100% ingredients covered

Nutrient	Per serving
	188kcal
	5g
	13g
	8g
	14g
	6g
	0.3g
	356mg

Ingredients0/9

Tools0/3

french · Recipe

Béchamel Sauce

Serves4

Total23 min

LevelMedium

Ingredients

Whole milk500 ml
Bay leaf1 piece
Black peppercorns6 piece
Unsalted butter40 g
Plain flour40 g
Nutmeg, freshly grated1 pinch
Flaked sea salt0.5 tsp
White pepper1 pinch
Cling filmas needed

Tools

SieveSmall saucepanMedium saucepan

Method

Add the whole milk, bay leaf and black peppercorns to the saucepan

10sSmall saucepanWhole milk · 500 mlBay leaf · 1 pieceBlack peppercorns · 6 piece

Bring the whole milk and bay leaf and black peppercorns to a boilLook forrolling simmer — about 4 minutes until milk reaches a gentle simmer

medium heat4 minSmall saucepan

Rest the simmering infused milk → leave to infuse for 5 minutes off the heat

5 minSmall saucepan

Strain the infused milk → discard bay leaf and peppercorns; transfer to jug

Result · Strained infused milk · used in step 10

Sieve

Melt the unsalted butter → over medium-low heat

medium-low heat2 minMedium saucepanUnsalted butter · 40 g

Add the plain flour to the saucepan

Medium saucepanPlain flour · 40 g

Stir the melted butter and plain flourLook forcook for 2 minutes until pale and sandy, stirring constantly

medium-low heat2 minMedium saucepan

Add the strained infused milk from the small saucepan to the saucepanLook forone ladleful of strained infused milk, whisking constantly until fully incorporated

Medium saucepanStrained infused milk · step 6 · 1 ladle

Whisk the strained infused milk and plain flour mixtureLook forcontinue adding remaining milk one ladleful at a time, whisking constantly until smooth and all milk incorporated; about 3 minutes

3 minMedium saucepanStrained infused milk · step 6 · remaining milk

Simmer the smooth sauce baseLook foruntil sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon; whisk often

low heat5 minMedium saucepan

Add the nutmeg to the saucepan

Medium saucepanNutmeg · 1 pinch

Add the flaked sea salt to the saucepan

Medium saucepanFlaked sea salt · 0.5 tsp

Add the white pepper to the saucepan → stir in, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed

Medium saucepanWhite pepper · 1 pinch

Cover the cling film → optional: press cling film directly onto the surface to prevent a skin forming if not using immediately

Result · Béchamel Sauce

Medium saucepanCling film · as needed

Printed 3 September 2026