yes I always soak them first, and then in to the towels. Some seeds are more stubborn than others, also. The yogurt maker is like that cupcake pan but it’s slightly heated, which will help with the propagation as well.
Here is the type of yogurt maker I was referring to:
when you find them at thrift shops they are usually missing the lid, which is ok, you don’t really need it, though it might come in handy as a humidity dome if it still has one.