How to Make White Sauce
Melt butter (any type works)., Whisk in flour, salt and pepper., Cook until bubbly., Heat milk (optional)., Add milk slowly., Whisk until smooth., Cook until thickened and smooth., Try customizing your sauce.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Melt butter (any type works).
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt your butter over low-to-medium heat on the stove.
When the butter's fully melted, proceed immediately to the next step without allowing it to reduce any further. -
Step 2: Whisk in flour
In a separate bowl, roughly combine flour, salt, and pepper.
Whisk this mixture into the melted butter, combining until smooth and paste-like. , Heat over medium heat until the mixture bubbles without letting it brown
- about 1 minute.
This is mixture of fat and flour is called a roux and can be used as a base or thickening ingredient in a variety of recipes including gumbo and other thick soups. , It's not essential to heat your milk before adding it to your white sauce, but doing so can help ensure your end product is silky smooth.
If you'd like to do this, heat your milk in a separate pan over low heat just until small bubbles form around the edges, then remove from heat. , Stir your milk into your roux mixture.
For smoothness, it's best to add a little milk, stir until fully incorporated into the sauce, then repeat.
If you add all the milk at once, it may not incorporate fully, leaving you with an uneven, lumpy sauce. , When you've added all your milk, use a whisk to gently stir your sauce, making sure to break up any remaining solid portions.
Stir until your sauce is even throughout. , All that's left to do is to cook your sauce until it reduces to your desired thickness and taste.
Cook for about 2-3 minutes more, frequently stirring and sampling your sauce to ensure evenness.
If needed, feel free to add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Serves about
4.
When cooled, this sauce can develop an unappetizing skin.
To avoid this, cover it with wax paper or pour a thin layer of milk on top before putting it in the fridge. , One of the most useful properties of basic white sauces is that they're so easy to modify for a wide range of purposes.
For instance, if you'd like to give your sauce an added "kick"
try adding red pepper.
You might also try grating cheddar cheese into your sauce for scrumptious cheesy flavor.
Experiment
- because its flavor is so neutral, most common ingredients complement a basic white sauce well.
Case in point
- the recipe in the next section modifies the basic white sauce with a few extra ingredients and the omission of flour to create a delicious Alfredo pasta sauce. -
Step 3: salt and pepper.
-
Step 4: Cook until bubbly.
-
Step 5: Heat milk (optional).
-
Step 6: Add milk slowly.
-
Step 7: Whisk until smooth.
-
Step 8: Cook until thickened and smooth.
-
Step 9: Try customizing your sauce.
Detailed Guide
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt your butter over low-to-medium heat on the stove.
When the butter's fully melted, proceed immediately to the next step without allowing it to reduce any further.
In a separate bowl, roughly combine flour, salt, and pepper.
Whisk this mixture into the melted butter, combining until smooth and paste-like. , Heat over medium heat until the mixture bubbles without letting it brown
- about 1 minute.
This is mixture of fat and flour is called a roux and can be used as a base or thickening ingredient in a variety of recipes including gumbo and other thick soups. , It's not essential to heat your milk before adding it to your white sauce, but doing so can help ensure your end product is silky smooth.
If you'd like to do this, heat your milk in a separate pan over low heat just until small bubbles form around the edges, then remove from heat. , Stir your milk into your roux mixture.
For smoothness, it's best to add a little milk, stir until fully incorporated into the sauce, then repeat.
If you add all the milk at once, it may not incorporate fully, leaving you with an uneven, lumpy sauce. , When you've added all your milk, use a whisk to gently stir your sauce, making sure to break up any remaining solid portions.
Stir until your sauce is even throughout. , All that's left to do is to cook your sauce until it reduces to your desired thickness and taste.
Cook for about 2-3 minutes more, frequently stirring and sampling your sauce to ensure evenness.
If needed, feel free to add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Serves about
4.
When cooled, this sauce can develop an unappetizing skin.
To avoid this, cover it with wax paper or pour a thin layer of milk on top before putting it in the fridge. , One of the most useful properties of basic white sauces is that they're so easy to modify for a wide range of purposes.
For instance, if you'd like to give your sauce an added "kick"
try adding red pepper.
You might also try grating cheddar cheese into your sauce for scrumptious cheesy flavor.
Experiment
- because its flavor is so neutral, most common ingredients complement a basic white sauce well.
Case in point
- the recipe in the next section modifies the basic white sauce with a few extra ingredients and the omission of flour to create a delicious Alfredo pasta sauce.
About the Author
Frank Stewart
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow practical skills tutorials.
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