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 (83% of total year to date sales) currently operates 39 bakeries that produce 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 (17% 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

19.10%

19.40%

Basis of Presentation [Line Items]

Concentration risk percentage

16.30%

16.80%

Basis of Presentation [Line Items]

Concentration risk percentage

2.80%

2.60%

Basis of Presentation [Line Items]

Basis of Presentation - Additional Information (Detail) - Segment	4 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Apr. 23, 2016	Apr. 25, 2015	Jan. 02, 2016
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 (83% of total year to date sales) currently operates 39 bakeries that produce 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 (17% 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	19.10%	19.40%
Total year to date sales \| DSD Segment \| Customer Concentration Risk
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage	83.00%
Total year to date sales \| DSD Segment \| Customer Concentration Risk \| Wal-Mart/Sam's Club
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage	16.30%	16.80%
Total year to date sales \| Warehouse Segment \| Customer Concentration Risk
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage	17.00%
Total year to date sales \| Warehouse Segment \| Customer Concentration Risk \| Wal-Mart/Sam's Club
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage	2.80%	2.60%
Outstanding Trade Receivables \| Customer Concentration Risk \| Wal-Mart/Sam's Club
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage	20.60%		18.90%