<b>Make the dough:</b>  In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the flour, sugar, and yeast.

Add the eggs, the orange zest, and 1/2 cup of water, mixing with the dough hook until it comes together; this may take a couple minutes. It’s okay if it’s on the dry side for now, but if it just doesn’t come together at all, you can add extra water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough forms a mass (it should still be a bit dry).

With the mixer on low, add the salt, then start adding the softened butter, a piece at a time.  Mix until each piece is incorporated into the dough before adding the remaining pieces.  This will take at least 5 minutes, be patient.

Once all the butter is incorporated, mix on medium speed for 10 minutes (YES, I know), until the dough is completely smooth.  You'll need to pause it and scrape the sides of the bowl a few times to make sure it gets everything. Generally by the 8-10 minute mark the dough has become shiny and solid, and begun to pull away from the sides of the bowl, which is a good sign. If it doesn’t, you can add 1 tablespoon of extra flour to help this along.

Coat a large bowl or container with some oil and place dough inside, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Leave in fridge for at least half a day, preferably overnight. The dough will not fully double, so don’t worry if it still looks a bit small in the morning.  Remember, this is two loaves' worth.

<b>Make the cranberry filling:</b>  (This is enough for one loaf)  Mix all the ingredients in a small saucepan, then bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom.

Once it boils, reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer on low for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep stirring every so often.  The cranberries will start to pop and the mixture will become thicker.  I kind of smooshed the cranberries with my spoon as they softened because I wanted a jammy texture.

Remove from the heat and transfer to a heat-proof bowl.  Let it cool and then cover and place in the fridge til you're ready to use.

<b>Assemble loaves:</b>  Coat two 9-by-4-inch (2 1/4 or 1kg) loaf pans with oil or butter, and line the bottom of each with a rectangle of parchment paper (I make a kind of sling, for easy removal).

In a small bowl, stir together the apricot jam, almond extract, and cinnamon.  Put in the microwave for 10-20 seconds, just to loosen it up a bit and make it easier to spread.

Take half of dough from the fridge (leave the other half chilled). Roll out on a lightly-floured counter to about a 10-inch width (the side closest to you) and as long in length (away from you) as you can when rolling it thin (likely 10 to 12 inches).

On the bottom half of the dough, spread the cranberry mixture, leaving a half-inch border all around.  On the top half of the dough, spread the apricot jam, leaving that same 1/2-inch border.  Then sprinkle the white chocolate pieces over both the cranberry and apricot parts.  Look at the photos in the post for reference.

Brush the end farthest away from you with a bit of water. Starting at the short end closest to you, roll the dough up, being careful not to squish the filling out.  Seal the dampened end onto the log.  

If you're making two loaves right away and have double the filling, repeat the rolling and filling process with the other half of the dough.

Now things get messy.  Trim the last 1/2-inch off each end of your dough log. Gently cut each log in half lengthwise and lay them next to each other on the counter, cut sides up. Pinch the top ends gently together. Lift one side over the next, forming a twist and trying to keep the cut sides with filling facing toward the ceiling (because they’re pretty). It doesn't matter if this is super messy, it will still turn out lovely. 

As carefully as possible, transfer the twisted dough into your prepared loaf pan.  Don't worry about gaps, the dough will fill in everything by the time it re-rises and bakes.

Cover with a damp tea towel or loose plastic wrap and leave to rise for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours at room temperature. 

<b>Bake and finish the babka:</b>  Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C), or 350 F convection. Uncover the loaves and place the loaf on the middle rack of your oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, but start checking for doneness at 25 minutes. A skewer inserted into an underbaked babka will feel stretchy/rubbery inside and may come back with dough on it.

When fully baked, you’ll feel almost no resistance (and the bread-y parts should be over 200 F inside). If you babka needs more time, put it back, 5 minutes at a time then re-test. If it browns too quickly, you can cover it with foil.

While your babka is baking, make the simple syrup.  Bring sugar and water to a simmer until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside to cool somewhat. As soon as the babkas leave the oven, brush the syrup all over the loaf. I usually give it two coats, I don't actually use all the syrup (I think Smitten Kitchen does). 

Let it cool about halfway in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Babkas keep for a few days at room temperature. Any longer and you should freeze them.