Creamy White Bechamel Sauce

5 from 3 votes

White béchamel sauce is a thick cream sauce made with flour, butter, milk, and salt. This recipe makes the smoothest bechamel in just 10 minutes!

Servings:

In a pot on medium heat, add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the flour. Whisk the butter and flour continuously for about a minute to two minutes.
Add the milk, continuing to whisk the sauce until it thickens up (about 5 to 7 minutes). The sauce is ready to remove from the stovetop when it's thick and can coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Add salt to taste.

Store this béchamel sauce recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The sauce might be thicker once cooled down. The top of the sauce might form a layer.
For a thicker sauce, add more flour. Adjust the butter-to-flour ratio from 1:1 to 2:3. So for every two tablespoons of butter, use three tablespoons of flour.
Enrichments for white sauces: add melted butter or whipping cream. Another option is to add shredded cheese, like sauce Mornay, which has grated Swiss and grated Parmesan.
Storage: Store this béchamel sauce recipe in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat the sauce on the stovetop or in the microwave. The surface of the sauce might have a film as the sauce cools. You can add a piece of plastic wrap directly in contact with the top of the sauce to prevent the film from forming.