Slice your bread into cubes. If you are an uber planner, you can let them sit out overnight to get extra stale.
Fry up the bacon in a large skillet until crispy, 8-10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. When cool, crumble bacon into small pieces and toss with the bread cubes. Transfer the bread cubes with bacon to a greased baking dish.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half, milk, 1 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
Pour the mixture over the bread. Cover your French toast bake and refrigerate it overnight. If you’re not a planner and you want to make this NOW, refrigerating your French toast bake for 2-3 hours should cut it.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Before baking, dot the top with the butter and sprinkle with 3 tbsp brown sugar.
Cover the baking dish loosely with tin foil. Cut two slits in the foil to allow the steam to escape and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown (and your house/apartment smells like a churro). Serve warm with maple syrup.