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Basis of Presentation - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Millions		4 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	May 03, 2017 BusinessUnit	Apr. 21, 2018 USD ($) Segment	Apr. 22, 2017	Dec. 30, 2017
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 plants 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 East, South, Southwest, California, and select markets in the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, Nevada, and Colorado. The Warehouse Segment (16% of total year to date sales) currently operates eight plants that produce snack cakes, breads and rolls for national retail, foodservice, vending, and co-pack customers and deliver through customers’ warehouse channels
Number of business segments \| Segment		2
Number of new organizational structure business units established \| BusinessUnit	2
Full implementation expected period	2019
Reclassify the stranded income tax effects from AOCI to retained earnings \| $		$ 18.8
Total year to date sales \| Customer Concentration Risk \| Wal-Mart/Sam's Club
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage		20.00%	19.80%
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%	17.30%
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		2.40%	2.50%
Outstanding Trade Receivables \| Customer Concentration Risk \| Wal-Mart/Sam's Club
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage		19.20%		23.60%