Mix warm water, sugar, yeast, and a small portion of the flour. Let the mixture rest for 15–30 minutes until it becomes bubbly.

Add the remaining liquid ingredients: eggs and vegetable oil. Mix well. Sift the remaining flour into a bowl, add salt, and pour in the liquid mixture. Mix thoroughly. The dough should not stick to your hands but should remain soft. If it’s too stiff, add a bit of oil or water; if it’s too sticky, add a little flour. Cover the dough with cling film and leave it to rise in a warm place for 1 ½ hours.

While the dough rises, prepare the filling. Peel the persimmons, remove the seeds, and purée them using a blender. Place the purée in a cloth bag and squeeze out the excess liquid. Mix the purée with sugar, lemon juice, cardamom, and nuts. Let it rest to allow the flavours to meld together.

Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each part into a rope, then flatten each rope into a ribbon. Spread the persimmon filling along the length of each ribbon, then pinch the edges together to form 4 filled ropes.

Carefully braid the challah and place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

If you don’t want to braid the challah, roll each strand into a spiral and place them in a ring-shaped baking tin. This will result in a rich pastry pie with a fruity filling.

Sprinkle the challah lightly with water, brush it with beaten egg yolk, and top with the reserved crushed walnuts and brown sugar.

Let the challah rest for 30 minutes to rise. Bake for 25–30 minutes at 180°C.