Preheat the oven to 350°F (180ºC). Spray bottom of 9 x 13” pan with cooking spray. Break up bread into pieces and layer it in the pan.
In a bowl whisk together eggs, half and half, 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar and the vanilla.
Pour the mixture over the bread and toss lightly to coat the bread.
Melt butter in a small mixing bowl and mix in the remaining brown sugar and ½ cup of the maple syrup, then spread evenly over the top of the bread.
Bake until golden brown on top, about 30 to 35 minutes.
To serve, scoop into bowls and top with the remaining maple syrup.
Notes
The bread can be topped with the custard mixture ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to bake (up to overnight). This lets the mixture seep into the bread.