definitely don't give up!
monkey bread is new to me, but i've made plenty of other types of bread and biscuits.
after doing a google search, it seems that there are 2 types: yeast dough & biscuit dough.
most of the recipes on the net seem to use the biscuit doughs from your grocery store's refrigerated section.
yeast dough seems to be the "classic".
here are some hints to help you get your yeast dough to rise.
-your water or milk should be warm, but not hot. if you can't keep your fingers in it, it's too hot. think baby bottle temp. too hot a liquid at any point will kill the yeast.
-let the dough rise in a warm place. somewhere around a hot, summer day would be about optimal. a lot of kitchens at this time of year can be pretty chilly. cool or cold temps won't kill the yeast, but it will take much longer to rise. 2 or 3 times what the cook book says wouldn't be unusual. if your kitchen is cold, you can get creative. for example, put a kettle or covered pan of just-boiled water in the oven with the dough (but not too close).
- if you follow a recipe, i don't think you'll have any other problems. however, you can also keep in mind that too much salt (not a likely cause) as well as a high sugar content will also retard the yeast. a combination of high sugar content and cold rising environment can cause a dough to take just about forever to rise.
here are some links i came across:
this has both a biscuit recipe & a bread recipe. just be careful about the milk temp. the way it's described (scald and let cool
slightly) would be too hot for the yeast.
Monkey Bread Recipe
Grands!® Monkey Bread Video from Pillsbury.com
Monkey bread - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
plenty of recipes here (some a bit "iffy" looking though):
Cooks.com - Recipes - Monkey Bread
good luck. i hope this helps.