Fair Value of Stock Consideration (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	1 Months Ended
Jul. 21, 2012
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Value of Flowers shares issued	$ 50,000
Implied fair value of restricted shares	45,887
Fiscal Years 2012
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Value of Flowers shares issued	25,000
Implied fair value of restricted shares	23,626
Exercise price (per share)	$ 20.48
Expected term (yrs)	4 months 13 days
Volatility (%)	25.00%
Risk-free rate (%)	0.10%
Dividend Yield (%)	3.00%
Fiscal Year 2013
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Value of Flowers shares issued	10,000
Implied fair value of restricted shares	9,154
Exercise price (per share)	$ 20.48
Expected term (yrs)	1 year
Volatility (%)	25.00%
Risk-free rate (%)	0.20%
Dividend Yield (%)	3.00%
Fiscal Year 2014
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Value of Flowers shares issued	5,000
Implied fair value of restricted shares	4,447
Exercise price (per share)	$ 20.48
Expected term (yrs)	2 years
Volatility (%)	25.00%
Risk-free rate (%)	0.20%
Dividend Yield (%)	3.00%
Fiscal Year 2015
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Value of Flowers shares issued	5,000
Implied fair value of restricted shares	4,363
Exercise price (per share)	$ 20.48
Expected term (yrs)	3 years
Volatility (%)	25.00%
Risk-free rate (%)	0.30%
Dividend Yield (%)	3.00%
Fiscal Year 2016
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Value of Flowers shares issued	5,000
Implied fair value of restricted shares	$ 4,297
Exercise price (per share)	$ 20.48
Expected term (yrs)	4 years
Volatility (%)	25.00%
Risk-free rate (%)	0.40%
Dividend Yield (%)	3.00%

Business Acquisition, Equity Interests Issued or Issuable, Basis for Determining Value

No definition available.

Name:	flo_BusinessAcquisitionEquityInterestsIssuedOrIssuableBasisForDeterminingValue
Namespace Prefix:	flo_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	flo_FairValueMeasurementsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	flo_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Value of equity interests (such as common shares, preferred shares, or partnership interest) issued or issuable to acquire the entity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 141

-Paragraph 51

-Subparagraph d

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF)

-Number 99-12

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionEquityInterestIssuedOrIssuableValueAssigned
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Agreed upon price for the exchange of the underlying asset.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 820

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (e)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7578670&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueAssumptionsExercisePrice
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Expected dividends to be paid to holders of the underlying shares or financial instruments (expressed as a percentage of the share or instrument's price).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueAssumptionsExpectedDividendRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Period the instrument, asset or liability is expected to be outstanding, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueAssumptionsExpectedTerm
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Measure of dispersion, in percentage terms (for instance, the standard deviation or variance), for a given stock price.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Risk-free interest rate assumption used in valuing an instrument.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration