Letter From The TEDitor: Gruyere Bechamel Recipe?

I’m making a French Onion Bread for a baking competition that’s a savory twist on a sweet cinnamon roll – what should I do for the icing? [Email sent Nov 24, 2018]

[Email Response December 1, 2018]

Make a Gruyere Bechamel drizzle — it’ll look like traditional sweet icing, but savory and delicious:

6 Tbsp Butter

4 Tbsp Flour

3 Cups Whole Milk

1.5 Cups Gruyere

2 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Black Pepper

1/2 a Nutmeg

2 Tsp whole grain mustard (optional)

In a separate saucepan, gently warm (not boil) the milk (it's much easier to make a bechamel with warm milk).  

Melt butter in another saucepan over medium heat.  Once melted, add flour and whisk until all the flour is incorporated.  Cook roux over medium heat, whisking constantly until it takes on a golden color, 4-5 minutes.  Add a ladle full of milk to roux, it will bubble and seize up (this is fine), continue whisking until smooth and no lumps are visible.  Continue adding milk little by little, whisking until smooth each time.  Once you've added all the milk, bring the mixture up to a simmer and it should thicken.  Once it hits a simmer, lower the heat to low and begin whisking in the cheese a little at a time being sure each handful is melted before adding the next.  Season with half the salt at first, sometimes the gruyere you're using will be slightly saltier so you may not need all of it.  You can always add more.  Add pepper and nutmeg.

The most important thing here is to constantly be stirring otherwise it will burn.  Have all of your stuff set up because the whole process happens pretty quickly.

Hit me up with any questions!

Editor’s Update - she won the competition!

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