A bit about laminated doughs

These are the doughs that I make for both croissant and danish. They both start with a yeasted dough of flour, water, milk, yeast, sugar, and salt. Danish dough gets eggs added as well for a richer dough. After the dough rests overnight, then the lamination process begins. A thin layer of butter is shaped and wrapped with the dough. It's run though a sheeter (or a really courageous person with a rolling pin) and then folded in 3rds. Another rest. Another rolling out and another fold in 3rds. One more rest, one more fold and then another rest before it's cut into shapes. Some places do more folds, but typically you'll end up with around 50 layers of dough and butter for croissants, although it can go up to 144, and Danish is anywhere from 24-54. The finished shapes go into a warm steamy proofer for awhile and then into the oven. The result should be a flaky, tender pastry; croissants more so than Danish.

The mouthfeel is so much different than a donut, which after frying can absorb a significant amount of oil that has a higher melt point in the mouth than butter. A donut that has been on the shelf the same amount of time as a danish will usually feel softer.