How to Make Any Sauce From Scratch: The 5 Mother Sauces Explained

Today, we’re taking a welcoming, step-by-step dive into the 5 mother sauces, how each one works, how to build variations, and how to use them to create practically any sauce you can think of.

Let’s get cooking!

What Are the Five Mother Sauces?

First defined by chef Auguste Escoffier, the five classic mother sauces are:

1. Béchamel - the creamy white sauce

2. Velouté - a silky stock-based white sauce

3. Espagnole - rich brown sauce

4. Tomato Sauce - the original classical French version

5. Hollandaise - the luxurious butter-egg emulsion

Each mother sauce has its own structure, thickening method, and purpose. Once you know them, you can create hundreds of daughter sauces with tiny adjustments.

1. Béchamel: The Creamy, Comforting White Sauce

Béchamel is simply butter + flour + milk, cooked into a smooth, velvety sauce.

If you’ve ever made:

• Mac and cheese

• Alfredo

• Creamy spinach

• Breakfast gravy

• Cheese sauce
  You’ve used a béchamel base!

How It Works

The butter and flour cook together to form a roux, which thickens the milk into creamy magic.

Ingredients

• Butter

• Flour

• Milk (or plant milk)

• Salt, white pepper

• Nutmeg (optional but classic)

How to Make It

1. Melt butter in a pan.

2. Whisk in flour; cook 1–2 minutes.

3. Slowly add milk while whisking.

4. Simmer gently until thickened.

5. Season and enjoy.

Nutrition Tip

Use:

• Low-fat milk or unsweetened plant milk

• Olive oil instead of butter for a lighter version

• Fresh herbs to reduce sodium

Daughter Sauces (What You Can Make Next!)

• Mornay → add cheese

• Cream Sauce → add cream

• Cheddar Sauce → for mac and cheese

• Mustard Sauce → great with chicken or pork

• Soubise → add onions

2. Velouté: The Silky Stock-Based Sauce

Velouté is a lighter, more delicate cousin of béchamel, made by combining white roux + stock instead of milk.

It’s the foundation for:

• Chicken gravy

• White wine sauce

• Mushroom sauce

• Seafood sauces

How It Works

Flour and fat create a roux, and the stock transforms it into a smooth, glossy base.

Ingredients

• Butter

• Flour

• Chicken, vegetable, or fish stock

• Salt & pepper

How to Make It

1. Cook equal parts butter and flour.

2. Whisk in warm stock.

3. Simmer until thickened.

4. Adjust seasoning.

Nutrition Tip

You can make velouté incredibly healthy by:

• Using homemade low-sodium broth

• Reducing added fat

• Adding blended veggies for nutrients and body

Daughter Sauces

• Supreme Sauce → add cream + mushrooms

• White Wine Sauce → add wine + lemon

• Sauce Aurore → add tomato purée

• Seafood Sauce → made with fish stock

3. Espagnole: The Deep, Savory Brown Sauce

Espagnole is the most complex of the five - rich, dark, and intensely flavorful. It’s built from brown roux + brown stock + aromatics + tomatoes, simmered into a deep, meaty sauce.

This sauce later evolves into the famous Demi-Glace, the base for luxurious restaurant-level sauces.

How It Works

The secret to Espagnole is layering:

• Browned bones or stock

• Brown roux

• Mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery)

• Tomato paste

• Long simmer

Ingredients

• Butter or fat

• Flour

• Brown beef or veal stock

• Tomato paste

• Mirepoix

• Herbs

How to Make It

1. Make a brown roux (cook flour + fat until chestnut-colored).

2. Add mirepoix and tomato paste; caramelize.

3. Gradually add brown stock.

4. Simmer for 1–2 hours.

5. Strain.

Nutrition Tip

To lighten Espagnole:

• Use mushroom broth instead of beef

• Add pureed roasted vegetables for depth

• Reduce salt; boost herbs

Daughter Sauces

• Demi-Glace → reduced Espagnole + stock

• Bordelaise → wine + shallots

• Chasseur → mushrooms + wine

• Au Poivre → peppercorn sauce

• Robert Sauce → mustard + onions

4. Tomato Sauce: Rich, Bright, and Flavor-Packed

While Italian-style tomato sauce is famous, the mother-sauce version is French: a slow-simmered sauce with tomatoes, vegetables, stock, and sometimes pork.

Modern tomato sauces are more diverse, but the technique remains timeless.

How It Works

Tomatoes soften as they simmer, releasing pectin that naturally thickens the sauce.

Ingredients

• Tomatoes (whole, crushed, or fresh)

• Onion, garlic

• Olive oil

• Herbs

• Stock or wine (optional)

How to Make It

1. Sauté garlic, onion, and herbs.

2. Add tomatoes + stock or wine.

3. Simmer gently 30-60 minutes.

4. Adjust seasoning.

Nutrition Tip

Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that increases with heat - so long simmers are great for you!

Use olive oil for heart-healthy fats.

Daughter Sauces

• Marinara → quick-cooked version

• Creole Sauce → spicy + vegetables

• Spaghetti Sauce → add herbs + meat

• Arrabbiata → chili flakes

• Bolognese → with meat and milk

5. Hollandaise: The Queen of Brunch

Hollandaise is an egg yolk + butter + acid emulsion - creamy, rich, and luxurious. It’s the most delicate mother sauce, but also one of the most magical.

If you’ve had:

• Eggs Benedict

• Steamed asparagus with sauce

• Lemon butter sauce
  You’ve met hollandaise.

How It Works

Egg yolks are whisked over gentle heat with acid (usually lemon or vinegar) until thickened, then warm butter is slowly streamed in.

Ingredients

• Egg yolks

• Butter

• Lemon juice or vinegar

• Salt & cayenne

How to Make It

1. Whisk yolks + acid over gentle heat.

2. Slowly drizzle in melted butter.

3. Whisk until creamy and glossy.

4. Season to taste.

Nutrition Tip

Lighten hollandaise by using:

• Ghee instead of butter (better for digestion)

• Half butter + half Greek yogurt (a great hack!)

• More lemon for brightness

Daughter Sauces

• Béarnaise → tarragon + wine reduction

• Mousseline → whipped cream added

• Maltaise → orange zest + juice

How to Use the Mother Sauces in Everyday Cooking

You can use these sauces to:

• Create pasta sauces

• Make healthy homemade gravies

• Dress vegetables

• Glaze proteins

• Build casseroles

• Top eggs, rice, potatoes, or fish

• Create global flavor sauces (just switch spices!)

A Simple Formula for Making Any Sauce From Scratch

Once you understand the mother sauces, all sauces follow this pattern:

1. Base (milk, stock, butter, tomatoes, wine)

2. Thickener (roux, reduction, yolks, puree)

3. Aromatics (onion, garlic, herbs, spices)

4. Seasoning (salt, pepper, acid)

5. Finishing elements (cheese, cream, herbs, butter, citrus)

If you memorize that, you’ll never be stuck in the kitchen wondering how to “fix” dinner again.

Learning the five mother sauces is like learning the alphabet of cooking. Once you know the basics, you can express yourself in endless delicious ways. These sauces bring comfort, nourishment, and creativity to your kitchen - and they connect you to centuries of culinary tradition.

Whether you’re cooking for one, feeding your family, or hosting friends, sauces make food feel special.