How to Make Sauces: The 5 Mother Sauces

What Are the Five Mother Sauces?

The five mother sauces are the foundation of classical cooking. During the 1800s, French chefs organized hundreds of recipes into five basic sauces that could be used to create many others. Today, these sauces continue to teach important cooking techniques such as making a roux, thickening liquids, balancing flavors, and whisking ingredients together.

Bechamel (White Sauce)

Bechamel (pronounced bay-shah-MEL) is often the first mother sauce new cooks learn. It's made by whisking milk into a roux - a cooked mixture of butter and flour. As the sauce simmers, it thickens into a smooth, creamy white sauce that can be served as-is or transformed into many other recipes.

Once you understand Bechamel, you'll recognize it in macaroni and cheese, creamy casseroles, vegetable sauces, homemade Alfredo-style sauces, and many baked pasta dishes.

Ready to practice? Learn how to make a classic White Sauce, then try French Bechamel Sauce. Then move on to using the sauce in Homemade Macaroni and Cheese or a creamy Alfredo Sauce.

Veloute Sauce

Veloute (pronounced veh-loo-TAY) is another classic French mother sauce. Like Bechamel, it begins with a roux made from butter and flour. The difference is that instead of adding milk, you whisk in a flavorful stock such as chicken, vegetable, or fish stock.

The result is a smooth, savory sauce that can be served over poultry, seafood, vegetables, and rice or used as the starting point for many other sauces.

Although classical Veloute isn't served as often in home kitchens today, the same cooking technique is used to make creamy chicken gravies, mushroom sauces, and many comforting casserole sauces.

Tomato Sauce

Tomato sauce is one of the most recognized mother sauces because it serves as the foundation for countless Italian and Mediterranean recipes. While traditional French tomato sauce often begins with a roux and stock, today's home cooks usually start with tomatoes and build flavor using herbs, vegetables, garlic, and seasonings.

Once you understand the basics, you can create everything from a simple marinara sauce to hearty spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, meat sauce, and many soups and casseroles.

Ready to practice? Learn how to make a simple Homemade Tomato Sauce, then use it in a classic Spaghetti Sauce or spread it on your favorite Homemade Pizza.

Espagnole (Brown Sauce)

Espagnole (pronounced ess-pan-YOLE) is the traditional French brown sauce and one of the five mother sauces. It begins with a brown roux, which is made by cooking butter and flour longer than you would for a white sauce. Brown stock, tomato paste, vegetables, and seasonings are then added and simmered until the sauce develops a rich, deep flavor.

Although most home cooks don't prepare a traditional Espagnole from scratch, the same cooking principles are used to make gravies, beef sauces, and many hearty meat dishes.

Want to practice making a simple brown sauce? Try this easy Beef Stroganoff or learn to prepare a classic Homemade Gravy using many of the same techniques.

Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise (pronounced hol-un-DAYZ) is the fifth and final mother sauce. Unlike the other four mother sauces, Hollandaise does not begin with a roux. Instead, it is made by whisking egg yolks with melted butter and lemon juice until the sauce becomes smooth, creamy, and rich.

Because the eggs cook gently from the heat of the warm butter and saucepan, Hollandaise takes a little more practice than the other mother sauces. Don't let that discourage you. It is an excellent recipe for learning careful whisking and temperature control.

Basic Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 cup cream, milk, or evaporated milk
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
2. Whisk in the flour until a smooth paste (roux) forms.
3. Slowly whisk in the milk or cream until smooth.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool for 3-5 minutes.
5. Whisk in the egg yolks and mustard until well blended.
6. Stir in the lemon juice and salt.
7. Serve immediately over vegetables, eggs, fish, or poultry.

Continue Practicing Sauce-Making Skills

Making sauces is one of the best ways to build confidence in the kitchen. As you practice, you'll become more comfortable making a roux, whisking ingredients until smooth, adjusting seasonings, and creating homemade sauces that can transform simple meals into something special.

These foundational cooking skills are used in hundreds of recipes, from creamy pasta dishes and hearty gravies to soups, casseroles, vegetables, and classic family dinners.

Kids Cooking Lesson Plans

Related Sauce & Cooking Lessons

Ready to continue learning? These lessons and recipes will help you practice the techniques used to make the five mother sauces while building confidence in the kitchen.

How to Make White Sauce

Master the easiest mother sauce by learning to make a smooth, creamy Bechamel from scratch.

Béchamel Sauce

Learn how to make classic French béchamel, a smooth white sauce made with butter, flour and milk.

Alfredo Sauce

See how a white sauce becomes a rich pasta sauce with butter, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and seasonings.

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Practice simmering tomatoes with herbs and seasonings to create a flavorful homemade sauce.

White Pepper Gravy

Learn how a roux thickens milk into a smooth homemade gravy for biscuits, potatoes, and family meals.

Homemade Sauce Recipes

Continue practicing with barbecue sauce, marinades, dressings, condiments, and other homemade sauces.

Cooking with Herbs & Spices

Discover how herbs and spices build flavor in sauces, soups, marinades, and everyday cooking.

How to Make Soup

Learn how broth, stock, vegetables, herbs, and seasonings come together to make comforting homemade soups.

Basic Cooking Lessons

Continue learning essential kitchen skills with step-by-step lessons designed for beginning cooks.