I have the soap in the ceramic dish, and it seems to be performing well for longer than when I had it in a wooden bowl.
I don't soak the cake. I use hot water and not just warm, but I do load the brush more than other soaps and I always face lather with it. It takes a little bit more work to get it there compared to Tabac, MdC etc, but once it is there, I think it's the best.
Ian