How to Make a Roux? The Ultimate Guide
Making your own roux is really child’s play! I’ve been making it myself for years. With just two basic ingredients, butter and flour, you can create a smooth, creamy base for many classic sauces in just a few minutes. I’ll show you step by step how to make your own roux and what the differences are between white, light and brown roux. Without any lumps, I promise!
In this article
What exactly is a roux? It is the foundation of French cuisine: a simple mixture of butter and flour that binds sauces, such as the classic béchamel sauce or the sauce for my French veal ragout (blanquette de veau).
It was only during my time at the famous Ferrandi culinary school in Paris that I perfected the technique so that the flour taste disappears completely and the sauce becomes silky smooth. I’m sharing this professional knowledge with you today – so that your next sauce is guaranteed to be a success!
My 3 Important Tips for the Perfect Roux
Before we start with the recipe, here are 3 important tips from the culinary school:
- Go for stainless steel: A stainless steel pan (or pot) conducts the heat perfectly so that you can control the cooking process. It is also scratch-resistant – which is important as you will be stirring vigorously.
- The whisk is a must: iIt is essential for a result without lumps. If you add the liquid little by little while stirring constantly, the sauce will be wonderfully smooth.
- Don’t start to early with adding the liquid: Let the roux simmer for a few minutes. This is important so that the raw flour taste disappears. Stir until small bubbles form on the surface – then your roux is ready.
👉 Recipe card
How to Make a Roux?
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Ingredients
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter 50 g
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 50 g
- 2 cups cold liquid 500ml (milk, broth, or stock)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the flour all at once and whisk immediately.
- Cook for 1 to 2 minutes for a white roux up to 8 to 15 minutes for a brown roux, stirring constantly: the mixture should remain clear, without browning. (see more about the 3 types of roux in the article)
- Use right away as the base for your sauce by gradually whisking in cold milk or broth.
Notes
Nutrition
The Perfect Butter-Flour Ration
The basic recipe is a cinch to remember: you always need a 1:1 ratio of butter to flour by weight.
While professional chefs prefer weighing ingredients for precision, you can achieve this easily with standard US kitchen measurements. For a versatile base, I recommend starting with 50 g of butter (approx. 3.5 tbsp) and 50 g of flour (approx. 6 tbsp).
The amount of liquid (milk or stock) then determines the final thickness of your sauce. Use these guidelines to dial in your consistency:
- Thick sauce: Ideal for casseroles or as a base for croquettes – 500 ml (2 cups) liquid.
- Medium sauce: The classic consistency for a béchamel – 750 ml (3 cups) liquid.
- Liquid sauce: Perfect for soups or light sauces – 1 liter (4 cups) of liquid.
Is your sauce too runny? Let simply let it simmer (reduce) over a medium heat for a few more minutes.
Has it become too thick? Then simply stir in a little more liquid, a little at a time, until it flows smoothly from the spoon.
How Do I Avoid Lumps?
When the roux is ready and has the desired color, you should immediately start adding the liquid: Milk for a béchamel sauce, stock for a velouté or another liquid e.g.: even gravy, depending on the recipe. Then you need to stir constantly to avoid lumps.
- Stir with a whisk right from the start: As soon as the flour is added to the melted butter, immediately stir constantly with the whisk to obtain a smooth batter.
- Add the liquid little by little: start with a small amount, stir constantly and vigorously until you have a smooth mixture and then gradually add the rest of the liquid. This is very important so that no lumps form.
- Always work on a low to medium heat: If the roux is heated too quickly, the flour can form lumps that are difficult to dissolve.
- Emergency tip: If, despite everything, lumps have formed, pass the sauce through a sieve or blend it briefly with a hand blender.
White, Light or Brown roux – What’s The Difference?
The difference lies in the cooking time. The longer it is cooked, the darker it becomes and develops a distinctly nutty flavor.
- White roux: Cooked for 1-2 minutes over a low to medium heat: ideal for béchamel sauce or other cream and milk-based sauces.
- Light roux: After 3 to 4 minutes it turns a light golden brown. Perfect for thickening white wine sauces or poultry stock, e.g.: for my turkey roll roast with gravy
- Brown roux: After 8 to 15 minutes, it takes on an amber color and acquires a stronger flavor. It is mainly used in dark sauces with beef or veal stock or in red wine-based sauces.
FAQ – Roux
Very simply explained: the roux is the base that Bechamel sauce the result. A roux consists only of butter and flour. As soon as you add milk, stirring constantly, and bring to the boil, it turns into a classic béchamel sauce. Add a touch of nutmeg – and you have a classic French sauce!
Don’t worry, almost every error can be rectified!
– For lumps: Simply pour the sauce through a fine sieve or use a hand blender until it is silky smooth again.
– It has become too dark: Don’t throw it away! Simply use it for a strong dark sauce (e.g. with beef) instead of a light béchamel.
– Wrong consistency: If it is too thick, stir in more liquid a little at a time. If it is too thin, let it simmer over a medium heat for a few more minutes until it has the desired consistency.
Yes, absolutely! It’s even a great time saver. You can store the finished roux in a small, airtight jar for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator store. If you want to store it for longer, it is also excellent for freeze (my tip: portion into ice cube trays!). This means you always have the perfect thickening for sauces to hand and only need to heat them up briefly in a pan before adding the liquid.
This is without a doubt the “proper” way to make roux and incorporate the liquid.
Thank you, Jen!