Step 1

Preparation Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don't let it brown — about 2 minutes. Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring it to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, lower the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat. To cool this sauce for later use, cover it with wax paper or pour a film of milk over it to prevent a skin from forming.

Step 2

Cheese Sauce. Stir in 1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese during the last 2 minutes of cooking, along with a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Step 3

How hot should the milk be? Warm the milk on low heat just until little bubbles begin to form at the edges. Then remove from heat.

Step 4

Reprinted with permission from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham. © 1996 Knopf