The baker may then cut out DIN A5-sized rectangular pieces and press them into a form traditionally depicting a bear, Bern's heraldic animal (pictured above).

She may also use cookie cutters in the shape of a bear or Santa Claus, or she may cut the dough into small rectangular pieces called Leckerli.

The Lebkuchen are then allowed to dry for a few hours, during which the crystallizing sugar forms a faint crust on the dough's surface.

A sweet similar to the Haselnusslebkuchen, although still containing some flour, is first described in the 1835 Neues Berner Kochbuch, a cookbook by Lina Rytz.

During the 19th and early 20th century, Bernese cookbooks record numerous recipes for Haselnussleckerli or Bernerläckerli, indicating that the sweet was initially only produced in the small Leckerli form, with the larger rectangular forms coming into use only in the second half of the 20th century.