SEGMENTS — Flowers Foods currently operates two business segments: a direct-store-delivery (“DSD”) 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 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 (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

20.20%

19.70%

19.60%

19.50%

Basis of Presentation [Line Items]

Concentration risk percentage

17.60%

17.20%

16.90%

17.00%

Basis of Presentation [Line Items]

Concentration risk percentage

2.60%

2.50%

2.70%

2.50%

Basis of Presentation [Line Items]

Basis of Presentation - Additional Information (Detail) - Segment	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jul. 16, 2016	Jul. 18, 2015	Jul. 16, 2016	Jul. 18, 2015	Jan. 02, 2016
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Segment reporting, description			SEGMENTS — Flowers Foods currently operates two business segments: a direct-store-delivery (“DSD”) 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 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 (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	20.20%	19.70%	19.60%	19.50%
Total year to date sales \| Customer Concentration Risk \| DSD Segment
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage			84.00%
Total year to date sales \| Customer Concentration Risk \| DSD Segment \| Wal-Mart/Sam's Club
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage	17.60%	17.20%	16.90%	17.00%
Total year to date sales \| Customer Concentration Risk \| Warehouse Segment
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage			16.00%
Total year to date sales \| Customer Concentration Risk \| Warehouse Segment \| Wal-Mart/Sam's Club
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage	2.60%	2.50%	2.70%	2.50%
Outstanding Trade Receivables \| Customer Concentration Risk \| Wal-Mart/Sam's Club
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage			20.70%		18.90%