Basis of Presentation - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	May 03, 2017 BusinessUnit	Oct. 06, 2018 USD ($)	Oct. 07, 2017	Oct. 06, 2018 USD ($) Segment	Oct. 07, 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				$ 18,800
Cash recovered from suppliers on disruption		$ 4,156
DSD Segment
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Cash recovered from suppliers on disruption		$ 4,156
Total year to date sales | Customer Concentration Risk | Wal-Mart/Sam's Club
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage		20.20%	20.20%	20.30%	20.20%
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		17.80%	17.60%	17.90%	17.70%
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%	2.60%	2.40%	2.50%
Outstanding Trade Receivables | Customer Concentration Risk | Wal-Mart/Sam's Club
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage				17.50%		17.50%