Why do Danish pastries and pie crusts contain more shortening than bread dough?

Danish pastries and pie crusts contain significantly higher proportions of shortening compared to bread dough primarily to achieve specific textures, such as tenderness and flakiness, rather than the structural elasticity required for bread.123

While bread dough relies on gluten to form an elastic network that traps gas for leavening, high levels of fat in pastries interfere with gluten development. By coating flour particles, shortening prevents the formation of a tough, elastic structure, resulting in a tender, crumbly, or flaky product.43512

Specific roles of high shortening content include:
* Texture Modification: In pie crusts, fat remains in small, distinct particles rather than being fully dispersed, which creates layers that flake apart upon baking.12
* Richness and Flavor: Danish pastries are considered "rich" doughs; the high fat content, often layered into the dough, provides the characteristic mouthfeel and flavor associated with these specialty items.35
* Handling: High usage levels of shortening help manage the malleability of the dough, though they require careful temperature control to prevent the fat from melting or smearing during preparation.23