Stock-Based Compensation (Performance-Contingent Total Shareholder Return Shares) - Additional Information (Detail)	6 Months Ended
Jul. 15, 2017 shares
Performance Contingent Total Shareholders Return Shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period	2 years
Total Shareholders Return
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based payment award, fair value assumptions, method used	Inputs into the model included the following for the company and comparator companies: (i) TSR from the beginning of the performance cycle through the measurement date; (ii) volatility; (iii) risk-free interest rates; and (iv) the correlation of the comparator companies’ TSR. The inputs are based on historical capital market data.
Total Shareholders Return \| 2015 Award
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares issued	0
Total Shareholders Return \| Fiscal 2016 \| 2014 Award
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Percentage of vested shares	27.00%

Vesting period for return on invested capital awards issued after 2012.

No definition available.

Name:	flo_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsVestingPeriodOne
Namespace Prefix:	flo_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

For each plan, identification of the award pricing model or other valuation method used in calculating the weighted average fair values disclosed. The model is also used to calculate the compensation expense that is shown within the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow. Examples of valuation techniques are lattice models (binomial model), closed-form models (Black-Scholes-Merton formula), and a Monte Carlo simulation technique. Fair value is the amount at which an asset or liability could be bought or incurred or sold or settled in a current transaction between willing parties, that is, other than in a forced or liquidation sale. May include disclosures about the assumptions underlying application of the method selected.

+ 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 (f)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsMethodUsed
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- 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.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of share instruments newly issued under a share-based compensation plan.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardSharesIssuedInPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of vesting of share-based compensation awards.

+ 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 (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualShareBasedPaymentsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis=flo_ShareholdersReturnSharesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualShareBasedPaymentsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis=flo_ShareholdersReturnMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=flo_TwentyFifteenAwardMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VestingAxis=us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationAwardTrancheOneMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=flo_TwoThousandFourteenMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: