When a sauce is too runny, its texture can be adjusted to provide more body. Among the food thickeners used in the food industry, flour stands out as a natural alternative that enhances the viscosity of culinary preparations. Why and how should you thicken a sauce with flour?
What ingredients are commonly used to thicken sauces in the food industry?
The challenges of overly fluid sauces
It is common to need to adjust the texture of a sauce that is too liquid, whether it’s a cream sauce or a meat jus. Texture plays a key role in the overall perception of flavor, whether the sauce is meant to be creamy or smooth.
Even if the flavor is intense, a watery sauce won’t linger in the mouth and cannot properly coat the foods it is meant to complement.
In addition, professionals in the food industry also seek to thicken their sauces to ensure more accurate dosing in formulations.
To fix an overly liquid texture, food technologists turn to texture agents that provide viscosity.
What types of thickeners are used to improve sauce texture?
A wide range of food thickeners can be used, depending on the desired result. They may come from:
- Animal sources (gelatin, egg yolk, etc.)
- Plant-based sources (starch, flours)
- Synthetic sources (various food gums)
- Seaweed-derived substances, such as agar-agar
Among the most widely used thickening agents in the food industry are starch and xanthan gum.
Xanthan gum has a powerful thickening capacity and is heat-stable, making it ideal for cold applications. It has no distinct taste and can be used in both savory and sweet recipes.
Starch, on the other hand, is valued for its ability to absorb water. This carbohydrate can be added:
In its modified form, which can be used without cooking, unlike native starches
Via ingredients rich in starch, such as cereal flours or tuber-based starches (e.g., potato, tapioca, arrowroot)
Why choose flour as a natural thickener?
Flour is a natural texture agent. Naturally rich in starch, it usually cooks faster than pure starches and is typically incorporated by mixing it first with water or fat before being added to a sauce.
Flour is a clean-label alternative to processed additives. It is particularly useful for food professionals seeking cleaner formulations.
At Valorex, we have developed flax-based flours that can be used to thicken and bind sauces. Unlike wheat flour, flaxseed flour is low in starch but high in soluble fibers (mucilages), which swell in contact with water to form a gel.
This makes flaxseed flour a powerful clean-label ingredient for creating additive-free formulations.
What are the best techniques to thicken a sauce with flour?
It’s not recommended to sprinkle flour directly into a hot sauce, as this often creates lumps. Instead, three professional techniques are typically used in foodservice and food manufacturing.
Mixing flour with a cold liquid
Start by dissolving the flour in a small amount of cold liquid—water or milk. This prevents lumps from forming.
This mixture is then added to the hot sauce while stirring continuously until it thickens upon cooling.
Making a beurre manié
A beurre manié is a paste made from equal parts of soft butter and flour. Unlike a roux, it is not cooked before being incorporated into a hot liquid.
This method is ideal for finishing a sauce and giving it more body.
Preparing a roux
A roux is made from flour and fat (typically butter) and differs from a beurre manié in that it is cooked beforehand. This is a foundational technique in sauces like béchamel or Madeira.
There are three types of roux: white, blond, and brown. The color depends on cooking time. White roux is used for thick sauces (like béchamel), while brown roux is used in darker, richer sauces.
Note: the longer a roux is cooked, the more it loses its thickening power.
Why use flaxseed flour to thicken sauces?
Thickening sauces with flour is a common practice for home cooks, but it’s also an effective and additive-free solution for food professionals.
Valorex has developed flax-based flours designed for industrial use. These flours offer stronger thickening power than wheat flour and are particularly useful in gluten-free applications.
