The product has a distinctive appearance, which is associated with its origin. As a result of the long tradition of production dating back to 1570, the special skills of the local producers also contribute to the high respect for the product. Westphalia is produced in northern Germany, with the exception of the southern part of Westphalia, which, together with Sauerland, is part of the central highlands of Germany. Due to the prevailing maritime climate influenced by the North Sea (abundant precipitation with rainy days, not too hot summers, rather mild winters), rye is a traditionally grown crop in this region. The cooking properties of rye are different from wheat.

Typical shapes are rectangular or round. The fact that Westfälischer Pumpernickel is pure rye bread sets it apart from many other types of bread. Therefore, its properties are different from many other types of bread. This is because the level of pentosan in rye dough (6% to 8% in rye as opposed to 2% to 3% in wheat) means that gluten cannot form a sticky gluten skeleton. Thus, rye dough contains less gas than wheat dough. This means that rye bread is heavier than wheat bread and has a denser crumb. Due to these often undesirable special baking properties of rye, wheat and rye blended breads are commonly produced, while pure rye bread is rare.