Glossary
Water discount
Using less water than the default amount in a lye solution, to speed unmolding and shorten cure time.
A water discount means using less water to dissolve the lye than a calculator's default full-water amount, usually expressed as a percentage of oils or as a lye concentration. The lye itself is not reduced, only the amount of water carrying it, so the recipe still reaches the same superfat.
Less water in the batter means less water needs to evaporate afterward, which can mean firmer bars sooner and a shorter cure. It can also speed up trace, since there is less liquid diluting the reaction, so recipes with a significant water discount often thicken noticeably faster than a full-water version of the same recipe.
A steep water discount leaves less time to work with the batter before it becomes too thick to pour or swirl, and it can make the lye solution itself slower to fully dissolve. A common mistake for beginners is discounting water heavily on a first attempt at a new recipe, which can turn a normally forgiving batch into one that seizes before it is even poured.