SEGMENTS — Flowers Foods currently operates two business segments: a direct-store-delivery segment (“DSD Segment”) and a warehouse delivery segment (“Warehouse Segment”). The DSD Segment (84% of total year to date sales) currently operates 39 bakeries that market a wide variety of fresh bakery foods, including fresh breads, buns, rolls, tortillas, and snack cakes. These products are sold through a DSD route delivery system to retail and foodservice customers in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, New England, Southwest, California and select markets in Nevada, the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest. The Warehouse Segment (16% of total year to date sales) currently operates ten bakeries that produce snack cakes, breads and rolls for national retail, foodservice, vending, and co-pack customers and deliver through customers’ warehouse channels. The Warehouse Segment also operates one baking ingredient mix facility.

19.20%

19.50%

19.40%

19.50%

Basis of Presentation [Line Items]

Concentration risk percentage

16.70%

17.00%

16.90%

16.80%

Basis of Presentation [Line Items]

Concentration risk percentage

2.50%

2.70%

Basis of Presentation [Line Items]

Basis of Presentation - Additional Information (Detail) - Segment	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Oct. 10, 2015	Oct. 04, 2014	Oct. 10, 2015	Oct. 04, 2014	Jan. 03, 2015
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Segment reporting, description			SEGMENTS — Flowers Foods currently operates two business segments: a direct-store-delivery segment (“DSD Segment”) and a warehouse delivery segment (“Warehouse Segment”). The DSD Segment (84% of total year to date sales) currently operates 39 bakeries that market a wide variety of fresh bakery foods, including fresh breads, buns, rolls, tortillas, and snack cakes. These products are sold through a DSD route delivery system to retail and foodservice customers in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, New England, Southwest, California and select markets in Nevada, the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest. The Warehouse Segment (16% of total year to date sales) currently operates ten bakeries that produce snack cakes, breads and rolls for national retail, foodservice, vending, and co-pack customers and deliver through customers’ warehouse channels. The Warehouse Segment also operates one baking ingredient mix facility.
Number of business segments			2
Total year to date sales \| Customer Concentration Risk \| Wal-Mart/Sam's Club
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage	19.20%	19.50%	19.40%	19.50%
Total year to date sales \| DSD Segment \| Customer Concentration Risk
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage			84.00%
Total year to date sales \| DSD Segment \| Customer Concentration Risk \| Wal-Mart/Sam's Club
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage	16.70%	17.00%	16.90%	16.80%
Total year to date sales \| Warehouse Segment \| Customer Concentration Risk
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage			16.00%
Total year to date sales \| Warehouse Segment \| Customer Concentration Risk \| Wal-Mart/Sam's Club
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage	2.50%	2.50%	2.50%	2.70%
Outstanding Trade Receivables \| Customer Concentration Risk \| Wal-Mart/Sam's Club
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage			16.50%		17.20%