Using Ceramic/ Porcelian Dishes As Soap Moulds ??

[oliveoil]

I have tried pouring soap directly into ceramic/ porcelain dishes as gifts for friends. It didn't really work as planned...I thought the soap would shrink and eventually just "plop" out of the soap dish. This didn't happen. The soap did shrink, but not enough to free itself from the bowl shaped dish it was in. Eventually, my friends were forced to cut the soap free with a knife which ultimately damaged the smooth round form of the soap.
I am always finding ceramic dishes ideally sized for individual bars of soap, (including sushi dishes)....but I have yet to find a non-stick method to easily remove the soap from its mould.
Does anyone have a solution to this problem ?
I thought about lining the ceramic mould/dish with an oil or fat, but this would leave a residue on the outside of the soap. I tried cutting greaseproof paper to fit the dishes, but it was really awkward to get the right shape and ultimately did not work.
I am wondering if thin plastic cling film, (sanwich wrap) would work...or would it react with the the chemical process ?
Any suggestions to this problem would be much appreciated.
There are some beautiful ceramic/ porcelain dishes out there, just waiting to be used !!...but how ?:?:

 

[Seawolfe]

Clingfilm / saran wrap will work - I've used it before, and is probably your best bet. The only think about it is if it has wrinkles it will give your soap wrinkles.
I have read that if you want to grease your mold you need to use an oil that doesn't saponify, like mineral oil. I have no idea how well it works or what kind of finish it leaves on the soap though.

 

[Obsidian]

I use vaseline sometime to grease my molds and I don't notice a film left behind. You only need a very thin layer but I really don't know how well it will work with a ceramic dish.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Other than cling film or mineral oils suggestions above, I think one of the few workable ideas is to make your own silicone mould from the dish itself - then you have the shape you want with the ease of use of silicone

 

[Dorymae]

I second the plastic wrap! You can smooth it if you take your time - try wetting the plate, dish, or bowl first. However even with smoothing you will still have some wrinkles but if you were careful they will be minor and can be shaved off.