Stock Appreciation Rights Activity (Detail) - Stock Appreciation Rights - $ / shares shares in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016	Jan. 02, 2016	Jan. 03, 2015
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of Shares, Balance at beginning of period	14	29	141
Number of shares, Rights exercised	(14)	(15)	(112)
Number of shares, Balance at end of period		14	29
Weighted average - grant date fair value		$ 8.67	$ 8.47

Share based compensation arrangement by share based payment award equity instruments other than options exercised in period.

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	flo_
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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of non-vested equity-based payment instruments, excluding stock (or unit) options, that validly exist and are outstanding as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)(i)-(ii)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

The weighted average grant-date fair value of options granted during the reporting period as calculated by applying the disclosed option pricing methodology.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (d)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

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